#paige watches house of cards

[kallie-den]

Your Type

Paige, a trans woman, goes on a date with a reality-warping lesbian who is determined to mold her into ‘her type’

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“So,” Paige said, watching her date carefully over her wine glass as she took a sip. The bar’s house white - good, but a touch dry for her palate. “What’s your type?”

Sophia, the woman sitting opposite her, laughed, amused. “Quite a question, for a first date. It really puts me on the spot.”

“Does it?” Paige challenged playfully.

She was having a good time. Paige had been skeptical - when you were a trans lesbian, dates with strangers could be risky. But she’d decided to take a chance and, fortunately, Sophia was making a good first impression. The woman her friend had set her up with was dressed smart, in a white, satin dress that matched nicely with her fair skin and platinum hair. She was pretty, too, and seemed professional - a good match for a career woman like Paige. Yes, it was strange that she was wearing darkened sunglasses inside a bar, but Paige was happy to overlook a small affectation.

“Well,” Sophia mused, stroking the rim of her glass, “if I tell you that you’re my type, it sounds like nothing more than boorish flattery. But if I describe anything else, then I’m offending you. I’m in a bind.”

Paige laughed too. She was pleased her date could enjoy a little verbal sparring. The atmosphere was perfect for it. The bar was classy - quiet but not dead - and the two of them were tucked away in a private corner so they could talk. Paige had come straight from work but she’d still been able to steal some time to freshen up, and she knew she looked good in her tailored suit, with her long, brunette hair up in a nice ponytail and her nails newly-manicured.

“It’s actually something I ask on all my first dates,” Paige explained. “The answer tells you a lot about someone.”

“And what are you looking to hear?” Sophia shot back, smiling.

“The truth.” Paige shrugged. “Look, I’m not expecting to be exactly your type. That would be one in a million. I just want to see if we have a real shot. I turned thirty a few years ago, I don’t feel like playing games anymore. I’m in your strike range? Wonderful, and we can make sure the mismatches aren’t deal-breakers. If I’m not? We make this just a drink, maybe a night of fun, and go our separate ways.”

Paige knew exactly how that sounded. In fact, it was part of the test. If Sophia got spooked by Paige’s no-bullshit way of doing things, it wasn’t going to work out. Better to find out now than in two months’ time. Fortunately, Sophia was still smiling. The other woman raised an eyebrow as she sat back to sip her wine.

“You’re a woman who knows what she wants,” Sophia noted. “I like that.”

Paige nodded appreciatively. “Oh, and I’m not afraid to put my cards on the table first. You are definitely my type.”

Sophia giggled. “Well, thank you. I’m happy to share, really - I love games, and this is a delightful one. So, let’s get very clear on something first, shall we?”

“What’s that?”

Suddenly, Sophia leaned forward and reached up to lower her sunglasses. She fixed Paige with a devastatingly sharp gaze.

“You are going to be my type. In fact, you need to be. You’re desperate to be.”

For a moment, as Sophia spoke, Paige stopped breathing. It wasn’t Sophia’s words. It was her eyes. Her irises. Paige had never seen anything like them. It was impossible. They were moving, shifting, a hundred times a second, endlessly; an infinite fractal-pattern of shapes, sharp and round and spiraling all at once. And the colors! Every color was in those eyes. In those patterns. A rainbow, kaleidoscopic, but more than that, too. Colors Paige had never seen before. Impossible colors. Maddening colors.

Staring into Sophia’s eyes was like looking into a glitch in reality. And the longer she looked, the more she felt like that unstable glitching was spilling out. Enveloping her. Engulfing her. Paige felt the very fiber of her being as it was unwritten and rewritten - and all just because she’d seen those eyes. It made the skin of her own existence feel so perilously thin, and her very reality feel dizzyingly malleable.

But then Sophia pushed her sunglasses back up over her eyes, and it was all gone. And then the words caught back up with Paige.

“I’m going to…” Paige repeated dumbly. “I need… desperate…?”

She looked at Sophia, in urgent need of clarity. Sophia just nodded.

“That’s right, Paige. You’re going to be my type. You need to be my type. It’s probably why you’re so keen to ask me about it.”

Paige’s mind was racing with a million questions. The big ones - what was wrong with Sophia’s eyes? What was that feeling that had washed over her? - were far too great to fit into words. Perhaps that was why, instead, she found herself latching onto the small incongruities.

“N-no,” Paige said slowly. “No, that’s not right. That’s not why I ask. Like I just told you, it’s because I think-“

Paige stopped talking. She froze because she was realizing that somehow, impossibly, she was wrong, and Sophia was right.

She needed to be Sophia’s type. She was desperate to be. And she was going to be.

Paige barely understood what that meant, but all the same, she was filled with a breathless eagerness. She felt like a butterfly about to burst from its cocoon, ready to taste the world in newly metamorphosed lungs - but to experience that plunge, that freedom, she needed an answer. She needed the answer that only Sophia could speak. Suddenly, Paige’s need for it was agonizing. She was trembling. Craving it, like an addict for a fix. She needed to know what Sophia’s type was.

But clearly, there was something more important than that going on. Paige suppressed the new urge and gripped the edge of her seat, knuckles white, to steady her nerves.

“What did you do?” she demanded, shocked.

“Hm?” Sophia seemed faintly surprised. “Oh, yeah, you’re probably a little distracted, aren’t you? Let me explain, although I won’t get technical on you.” She reached up and tapped the corner of her sunglasses with a fingertip. “With these eyes, I’ve got reality wrapped around my little finger. Past, present, future. Body, mind, soul. All of it.”

“You… you can just… change reality?” Paige was dumbfounded. It sounded impossible, but the urge welling up inside her was all the evidence she needed. Was the woman sitting across from her a superhero? A goddess? “How is that even possible?”

“Tsk.” Sophia shook her head. “This always happens. Sorry babe, but we’re supposed to be on a date. I’m gonna need you to focus on me here. So…”

Once again, she reached up and lowered her sunglasses. As soon as Paige realized what was happening, she tried to look away - but it was too late. The very first glimpse of those impossible, reality-glitch eyes had her captivated. And there it was again: the gnawing, discomforting awareness of her own malleability. As she stared, entranced and powerless, Paige felt like nothing more than an origami doll. Her existence was as thin as paper - and here was a woman who could bend and fold her into new shapes.

“Just don’t worry about it,” Sophia told her.

Paige blinked back to life as those eyes once again disappeared behind the sunglasses. As the existential unease faded, Paige expected her intense concern about the nature of Sophia’s abilities to return - but it didn’t. It just didn’t. Somehow, Paige couldn’t seem to muster up any particular feelings about what Sophia could do, or what she was doing to her. It simply didn’t seem important.

She wasn’t worried about it.

“Oh…” Paige said faintly, as that dawned on her. “OK.”

Perhaps not worrying should have itself worried her, but she proved to be equally cut off from that. Instead, as momentous as Sophia’s power seemed, it quickly became unremarkable to Paige. She wasn’t worried about it. Her date with Sophia was far, far more important.

And Paige’s new need came roaring to the forefront of her mind.

“So, um,” Paige said restlessly. She took a sip of wine to try and calm herself. It didn’t help. “What’s your type? I really need to know.”

“You do, do you?” Sophia's thin smile widened. She sat back again, clearly pondering. “Let’s see… what’s my type today?”

Paige was hanging on her next words. She could sense they would mean everything to her.

“You know,” Sophia said eventually, with an air of frivolity that was entirely at odds with how Paige felt about the pronouncement, “I think my type is girls with short hair.”

A pang of disappointment made Paige inhale sharply as, for the first time ever, she regretted her commitment to growing her hair out. But it faded just as suddenly as it had appeared, when Paige realized there was no problem whatsoever.

She had short hair.

Paige had to reach up and check, which was funny, because having short hair was perfectly normal for her. That was just the kind of girl she was. Sure enough, instead of a ponytail - why had she expected a ponytail? - her fingertips touched the ends of her short bob. That seemed wrong - but only for the briefest of moments.

“I… I have short hair?” Paige said dumbly. She wasn’t sure why it came out like a question.

She had short hair. Of course she did.

But why? That fact seemed oddly incongruous. After all, long hair had always been so important to Paige. It was a symbol of her transition. Of her femininity. She’d always hated the thought of getting it cut. So, why would she have short hair? The more she dwelt on the incongruity, the more it became an insisting, throbbing ache at her temples. She needed to make it make sense.

And then it did.

Paige felt herself plunged into an unfamiliar memory. Herself, rushing to a salon the morning after a sobbing breakdown, voice trembling as she asked the stylist to cut her hair off. It had felt so freeing. Her long hair had become a prison of expectations. Cutting it off had been a ritual. An affirmation.

She didn’t need long hair to be a woman. To be feminine. She simply was. Paige could look the way she’d always wanted. Peering further back, to those miserable college days before her egg had cracked, her memories of her transition goals were shifting. Sigourney Weaver in Alien. Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted. Of course. Of course Paige had ended up with short hair. It made perfect sense.

Soon enough, her memories lost that unfamiliar flavor. They had always been like that. She had always been like this. Paige had short hair.

“Wow,” she giggled, “I’m off to a lucky start. Looks like I’m your type.”

Right away, the fact of her short hair became euphoric. She had short hair. She was Sophia’s type. That was wonderful. Amazing. It was the best news she’d heard in months. It was what she needed.

“Indeed.” Something twinkled in Sophia’s eyes. “You’re rocking the look.”

“Thank you.” Paige reached up and touched her hair. She did that a lot. It made her happy. Short hair didn’t take a lot of effort to keep neat and sleek, but still, it was nice to be complimented for it. “I’m glad you like it.”

She was. She was unbearably glad. Paige just had to hope her grin wasn’t too off-puttingly eager. Knowing she was Sophia’s type made her so happy.

Only, surely Sophia’s type went beyond just hair. The gnawing craving in Paige’s chest itched at her anew. It wasn’t even close to sated.

“And…” Paige pressed. “What else? Tell me more. What’s your type?”

She had to strain to keep her voice measured. Paige didn’t want to make this creepy. But she couldn’t help sounding a little urgent. This was so important.

“Hmm…” Sophia mused. It was plain that she was enjoying the way Paige was sitting forward, shoulders tense, desperate for an answer. “Now that you mention it, I’ve always felt like girls who are all about pink are my type. Know what I mean?”

“P… pink?” Paige said plaintively.

She tried to reason with herself over it. Paige liked pink. She liked it as much as the next girl, anyway. Didn’t that count? In her heart, she knew it didn’t. Sophia’s type was girls who were all about pink, and Paige had always felt faintly at odds with the color. Pink clothes, pink lipstick, pink accessories - they all made her feel like she was stereotyping herself a little. Girls didn’t need to wear pink all the time.

But Paige did.

It hit her like a roaring wind. The infatuation. The obsession. Paige loved pink. It was a touch stereotypical, yes, but that was exactly why Paige adored it so much. There was something indulgent about surrounding herself with it. It was something she could rest her identity on. Blue was for boys, but pink? Pink was for girls. Girls liked pink.

“Pink,” Paige sighed happily, reverently, as the story of her life flailed and twisted out behind her like a serpent’s tail.

When she’d started her transition, pink had felt like coming home. Everything pink she’d bought had become a source of joy. It was funny, though, because Paige remembered feeling a little tokenized whenever someone - a family member, a friend - had given her something pink to clumsily signal their acceptance. Then, a moment later, she remembered more. She remembered overcoming that little hang-up. All of a sudden, her unwillingness to embrace pink was recast as early-transition blues; as holding back, as instinctive repression.

She’d overcome it, of course. And now Paige was all about pink.

Paige looked down. Her suit was pink. Of course it was. She owned a black suit, sure, for somber occasions, but mostly it was consigned to the black of her closet to gather dust. Paige always wore pink suits to work. It turned heads, naturally, but she didn’t mind - not as long as when people looked at her, they saw ‘pink’. Plus, she rationalized - and as she rationalized, it became her truth - it was a nice way to make sure her short hair didn’t mislead people into thinking she was aiming to be androgynous.

“I’m all about pink!” The words burst out of Paige; a cry of joy, a plea for attention. She was Sophia’s type, and she needed Sophia to know.

“So you are,” Sophia giggled. “You’re quite the Barbie.”

The comment made Paige shockingly euphoric. But why wouldn’t it? She was all about pink, and what was pinker than Barbie? Paige remembered seeing the movie posters, and the ads, and- no, no, suddenly she remembered seeing the movie itself. Making time on opening night, despite the pressures of work.

It had been so worth it. So much pink.

“Thanks,” Paige replied, still glowing with the pleasure of being Sophia’s type. “I know it’s getting a little much, at my age, but I just can’t help-“

“At your age?” Sophia seized on that gleefully. “That’s another thing. My type is younger girls, actually.”

“Younger girls?” Paige was immediately crestfallen, but she could already feel the explosive energy of change welling inside her. Already, lines were disappearing from her face. She was caught between despair and hope. “Younger than… you?” She wasn’t sure how old Sophia was, exactly. Suddenly she was hoping for late thirties. Perhaps even pushing forty. “H-how young?”

“Oh, you know.” Sophia seemed to be deciding. She made a little show of counting down on her fingers. “Early twenties, say.”

“Fuck,” Paige breathed - both out of regret, and out of awe at the reality shift that was starting to take her.

This one was different. It made her head throb like nothing else. It felt like her skull was going to implode. Paige could feel her past not just changing, but contracting. Memories gone. Birthdays snuffed out. Suddenly, the nineties she’d grown up in was nothing more than a set of images on TV; a set of anecdotes recounted by older coworkers.

Growing up without the internet? It was a crazy thought, suddenly. Paige found that, even in her last moments of remembering it, she couldn’t seem to comprehend it.

The process was terrifying - or it should have been. But Paige wasn’t worried about it. Couldn’t worry about it. Instead, her eagerness to please, to be Sophia’s type, forced its way through her confusion.

“T-that’s good,” Paige struggled to say. “I’m y-younger.” And she was so pleased about it, too. “I’m… I’m…”

It was a little alarming to realize that she didn’t know quite how old she was. Paige’s age was still in flux. It was like Schroedinger’s cat. She’d yet to settle on it. Paige found herself torn. How young was ‘younger’? Part of her wanted to push her luck. To save what could still be saved of her past. Twenty-four? That could still be ‘early twenties’, right? It was younger than twenty-five, at least.

But what if it wasn’t good enough? That was the other thought, and it soon carried the day. Above all, Paige needed to be Sophia’s type. It was so important.

“I-I’m twenty-one!” Paige sang out, in a voice that was suddenly just that bit fresher and higher.

Twenty-one. Of course she was twenty-one. It had only been last month - her birthday, that little ritual, going to a bar, buying a drink with her real ID as her friends cheered and the bartender winked. As moments passed, that memory became more and more solid and concrete in Paige’s head. It was real, undoubtedly. Far more real than the ten or so years she’d just lost, all of that life and time metaphysically shredded into nothing more than hypothetical abstraction.

“Twenty-one?” Sophia cocked an eyebrow playfully. “That’s kind of hot.”

Paige tittered and blushed. That was so naughty. There was something thrilling about going on a date with an older woman - why did that thought taste so new? It wasn’t. Paige was sure of that. At least, she thought she was. She’d been giddy with anticipation ever since her friend had, with a knowing wink, proposed setting her up with Sophia.

Paige had a thing for older women. She must. Why else would she be on a date with Sophia? Her attraction to Sophia took on a new flavor.

“Twenty-one,” Paige repeated. The thought was settling. “Yeah. Um. Yeah.”

Twenty-one. She was twenty-one. Fuck. She was younger than Sophia.

She was still dizzy from the change. So much of her life had been put into flux. Only slowly was it falling into place. Paige struggled to make sense of it all, grasping at possible solutions that turned to stone - to reality - as soon as she latched onto them. Her transition moved backward, to her teenage years. The miserable, closeted portion of her life was high school now, not college. College - that felt like just yesterday. Paige had only just graduated. She was so young!

But of course she was. She was twenty-one.

It changed everything. Only the bare outline remained fixed. Suddenly, instead of Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder, Paige had been showing her hair stylist pictures of Miley Cyrus. Kristen Stewart. Those were her idols now - at least, in some ways. Neither of them was quite pink enough for Paige’s liking.

2010s pop culture was pouring into her head, replacing what she’d lost. It was a wild experience. And somehow, it felt like it had always been there.

And then there was her job. Paige was a successful career professional. She worked in management. A twenty-one-year-old manager? Wasn’t that absurd? Paige tried her hardest to cling to that one thing. She was so proud of it, after all. Mercifully, the thread of reality she was pulling on didn’t quite snap.

Right. Yes. She remembered now. She was a twenty-one-year-old manager. Paige had started interning in college, and she’d made a big impression at the company she’d worked for. They’d been willing to take a chance on her and hire her into a senior role right out of college. She was a rising star. It was rough sometimes, of course, having so many subordinates who were younger. It was a fight to get them to take her seriously. Especially given all the pink she wore. But Paige couldn’t be stopped. The pink became a statement. Young women - young trans women - of her generation could do anything. She was a girlboss. The world was her oyster.

And a thousand other things about her reality shifted. Big changes and small ones, spreading out along implications and possibilities like cracks in ice. With the strange power Sophia had infused into her, Paige was rewriting her entire being - and all of it, just to be Sophia’s type.

“How old are you?” Paige asked. She just wanted to hear it.

“Old enough,” Sophia replied rakishly. “The waitress probably thinks we’re mother and daughter.”

Paige shivered rapturously. It wasn’t the age gap, not really - although, yes, she found that hot, now. Frankly, working in management was a little distracting in that department. So many hot, older women were Paige’s coworkers. It was the kind of thing a young lesbian could get worked up over. But what mattered far, far more than that was that she was Sophia’s type.

“So… I’m perfect, right?” Paige was desperate to be. It was written into the fiber of her being now. “Perfect for you?”

“You’re getting there,” Sophia offered. Just hearing that was intoxicating. “But… oh, I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t say it.”

“What?” Paige’s heart skipped a beat. The mere possibility of a mismatch between herself and Sophia’s ideal was panic-inducing. “No. No, tell me.”

She needed to know. She needed to know, so that she could become.

“It might be a big ask,” Sophia warned. The smile on her face was more than a little cruel. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes!” Paige answered at once. Her apprehension was swept away effortlessly by gnawing desperation. “Please.”

“If you insist,” Sophia replied. Her manner was painfully unhurried. “The thing is, my type happens to be girls who are… well… dumb.”

“W-what?” Paige whimpered. “That… that’s…”

It was awful. Sophia’s type was dumb girls, and Paige had always prided herself on her intelligence. But as much as she feared losing her brains, the inexorable pull towards becoming Sophia’s ideal was stronger. Paige could already feel it, taking her into its flow, draining hard-won knowledge out of her head.

“I’m dumb,” Paige pleaded, half-sincerely, searching desperately for an angle to shoot for. “At least… um… m-maybe a little forgetful? My friends are always saying-“

She froze. Saying what? Paige could feel reality shifting beneath her feet as the memories came back to her.

Ditzy. Airheaded. That’s what her friends always called her, wasn’t it? After all, she’d always been the slow one in the friend group. Even in college, someone had to be the dumbest. Of course, in Paige’s case, they even joked it was a miracle she’d been able to graduate. Paige could feel it, even now. Her head getting a little foggier. Her thoughts, a little simpler and cruder. As soon as she felt it, it became familiar.

“Oh, no,” Sophia said, dashing her hopes. “I’m afraid it goes a little beyond that. I’m talking about really dumb girls. That’s my type.”

Paige’s head throbbed painfully as she absorbed that, and reconfigured herself again. College? No way. She’d tried, sure - middle-class family expectations - but Paige had ended up dropping out in her first year. She simply couldn’t follow along in lectures.

“I’m… I’m really dumb,” Paige confessed bashfully. It was kind of embarrassing, coming right out with it on a first date - but hey, it was better than a new lover dumping her after three months once she realized Paige couldn’t hold an intellectual conversation.

Not that she had to worry about that with Sophia, of course. Dumb girls were Sophia’s type, and that alone made it something to be proud of. For the first time ever, Paige was truly, wholeheartedly glad of what a total ditz she was.

"That’s really cute, honestly,” Sophia told her, any predatory glint in her eyes concealed behind those dark sunglasses. “Adorable.”

Her approval was like a red rag to a bull. “When I first got my job, everyone was, like, so surprised!” Paige gushed. “I mean, me? Working in management? That was… was… um… I-I mean, that wouldn’t even make…”

A fresh wave of dizziness hit Paige as the total incongruity of her career dawned on her. It didn’t make sense. A twenty-one-year-old working in senior management was already pushing it. Only exceptional aptitude could possibly justify that. Now that she was dumb - which, of course, she’d always been - that particular thread of reality was finally snapping. It gave way, plunging Paige into another pit of uncertainty.

What was her job again?

There was only one real answer, as embarrassing as it seemed. Paige was a secretary. Not a manager. A secretary. Why had it ever seemed like she’d been anything else? Secretary work was the only kind of office job Paige could handle.

“When I first got my job,” Paige said slowly, trying to pick up the anecdote, “people joked that I might not be cut out for all that, like, reading and typing. Sometimes I kinda need help with some of the more, um, technical documents.”

It was true, she realized a moment after. Paige could now remember hearing workplace rumors about how she’d only been hired because her pink outfits really brightened up the office. She looked down. Her legs felt a little chilly all of a sudden - only, it wasn’t sudden. Paige had been wearing a cute little pink pencil skirt all day. Not pants. A pantsuit was a little much, for a secretary.

“I guess I’m kind of a bimbo,” Paige giggled self-consciously, as she joined the dots between her ditziness and her obsession with all things pink.

And she was. She really was. Maybe that was why she was so confused. Maybe that was why she kept half-remembering another Paige - a Paige that was older, and smart, and successful, and serious. But that wasn’t her. Not anymore. No, not ever. That Paige wasn’t real.

She was becoming less real by the moment, as the waves of this latest change rippled back into her past. Her high-school grades retroactively plummeted. When she’d first started transitioning, there had been more than a few sexist little jokes about being girly and pink suited her better than trying to be smart and serious and masculine. The dizziness started to recede as, more and more, Paige’s life started to make sense again. Once again, the implications went deep. Everything about Paige was malleable. The only fixed points were the things Sophia liked.

Paige wasn’t worried by that, of course.

“A real girly girl,” Paige added, as her reality settled. “You… you like that. Right?”

“You know?” Sophia mused. “Now that I’m seeing it, I’m not so sure. It’s a little, well, cliché.”

“Cliché?” Paige echoed, in a wounded voice. “Is that, like, bad?”

It certainly sounded like a reprimand, but Paige had to be sure. Already, she felt her existence becoming fluid again. The sensation was like nothing else; a dizziness, a fuzziness around her thoughts, around her memories, especially, as they blurred, ready to change.

“I suppose what I had in mind was something a little… rougher?” Sophia continued. “Punk? Is that the word I’m looking for? You know what I mean. A little bit of that blue-collar charm. Dumb, strong, rough.”

“B-blue… collar?” Paige panted. “Punk?”

The headache was like thunder inside her skull. Gale winds, too, blowing away the Paige she’d been steadily coming to terms with. There was no fighting it. At once, Paige’s head was flooded with stereotypes. Punk girls. Working-class girls. She dredged up every impression she’d ever had of them to fuel her transformation. A transformation that tore her life story to shreds.

College? Fuck no. Her family had never had a lot of money. They couldn’t afford to waste it paying tuition for a girl with rocks for brains. Paige had struggled to graduate high school, let alone get a degree. What would have been the point? You didn’t need book smarts to haul ass on a construction crew.

Right. Construction. That was where Paige worked. Suddenly, the idea of herself as a secretary seemed preposterous. Lame. Paige would take fitting joints and carrying pipes over some stuffy office any way of the week. Hers was a good, respectable, union job. Those ran in the family, didn’t they?

Yes. Yes, of course.

Paige was good at it, too. Strong. Sophia had mentioned strong, hadn’t she? Paige was sure of it. Her self-confidence was bolstered back a little. Everyone wanted a strong girl like Paige on a construction site. Even a trans girl. Oh, sure, she’d heard plenty of shitty comments about that. But Paige didn’t take them lying down. She wasn’t that kind of girl. She could stand up for herself. She was rough.

Paige smirked at Sophia. She let her legs fall apart as she slipped into her natural, girlspreading stance. For some reason, wearing a pencil skirt crossed her mind. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. That sounded so needlessly restrictive compared to her loose-fitting pink jeans. The glass in her hand wasn’t wine anymore. Beer.

“Good news, miss,” Paige said, and her accent sounded classless and coarse to her until it didn’t, because she’d always talked that way. “Looks like I’m your type, right down to a fucking T.”

Sophia giggled. Paige lapped up her approval. It felt wonderful. Being Sophia’s type was all-important. Now, though, she was used to girls giggling at her that way. What kind of lesbian didn’t love a tough, strong, working-class dyke?

“You sure are,” Sophia cooed. “You look really punk.”

Paige really did, she realized. In fact, she was a little out of place at a classy bar like this, with her studded choker, heavy boots, and her battle jacket - blue, but covered in pink patches and pins, of course. She’d always dressed that way. Ever since… when? Paige soon supplied the answer. Ever since she’d come out as trans. Her transition goals shifted again. Siouxie Sioux. Joan Jett. The goddesses of punk rock.

For a moment, the fact that Paige liked pink so much bothered her, but her warping mind soon resolved the contradiction. Pink was punk. That was now - always - Paige’s defiant battle cry every time someone questioned her punk cred. In a world that hated women and denied trans women at every turn, pink was punk.

Paige’s music taste, having lurched violently away from pop, started coarse-correcting back. She was punk, for sure, and she loved the classics, but she had to admit that pop punk was a guilty pleasure. Avril Lavigne was so hot. She really got it. Pink was punk.

"So. Anything else?” Paige asked. In this new reality, she was cockier and more confident than ever - but she couldn’t help being insecure about exactly one thing. “Or am I completely your type?”

“You know,” Sophia said slowly, looking Paige up and down as she weighed her up. “I think you’re exactly what I was feeling today. Yeah. You’re my dream girl.”

Paige grinned. Her whole body was thrumming with the delicious pleasure of affirmation. It was like a gnawing emptiness inside her had just been filled. And now she felt so good, there was only one thing on her mind.

“In that case,” Paige said, sitting forward, “how about we get out of here and I show you exactly how good I am at laying pipe?”

She laughed at her crude double entendre - by her standards, an impressively witty joke. A classy, older woman like Sophia was out of her league in at least three different ways, and Paige would hate to blow her shot by moving too fast, but this kind of bar really wasn’t her scene, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up in conversation. Besides, she knew Sophia liked her rough edges. She was Sophia’s type, and she couldn’t wait to have her moaning all over Paige’s bed.

Paige had undergone a head-splitting number of metaphysical changes throughout her date. But one thing that had remained constant throughout was that Paige was a top - and a damn good one.

But Sophia didn’t seem to agree. “Actually, maybe you’re not my type after all,” she said, with an air of particular malice.

Paige was immediately heartbroken. “W-what?” she gasped, shocked. There were tears in her eyes.

“Sorry.” Sophia didn’t sound sorry at all. “It’s just, I’m not that interested in the kind of girls who lay pipe. Bottoms are really my type.”

Paige head started throbbing dangerously again. “I…” she pleaded. “I could… I can bottom.”

And she could, Paige realized as it became true. She called herself a top, sure, but that was just part of the game. Paige could feel her orientations and preferences shifting beneath her feet.

“Really?” Sophia replied idly.

“Yeah!” Paige panted, eager to convince. “I-I love to bottom!” A secret thrill entered her voice. Oh god, she really did. It went against her vibe, her style, her demeanor - but that was part of why it felt so fucking good. “ I’m, y’know, v-… um… I’m… vers?”

It just didn’t taste right in her mouth. Paige wanted to say it - wanted to keep that part of herself within her grasp - but she soon realized why she couldn’t. Sophia had said she wasn’t interested in girls who top. Even being vers was out of the question. Paige felt a sorrowful pang as that part of herself vanished into abstraction - but then the sorrow vanished too, because this was just who she was.

A complete and total bottom.

“Are you now?” Sophia queried.

“No,” Paige admitted. She blushed and leaned in, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I just… god, if word got around, I’d never hear the end of it, OK? Big, tough Paige? But I’m… um… yeah. A bottom. Totally.”

Still the rough kind, of course. Paige wasn’t the type to go down without a fight. She needed to be overpowered. To be dominated. To be shown who was boss. A punk brat. That was her, she decided. It was a little frustrating people always mistook her for a top. What did they think all the pink was about? Couldn’t they take a hint?

Sophia giggled, and said in a teasing voice, “A punk bottom. Now that’s fun.”

Paige stiffened briefly at being mocked, before that, too, was folded into her sexuality, and she squirmed in her seat. Sophia liked bottoms, so she had to be a top, right? Paige loved getting teased by tops. It was so hot.

“It’s kinda embarrassing,” Paige offered, eager to please. “I get these subby girls coming on to me all the time, but… god, I just wouldn’t even know what to do with them in the bedroom.” Her blush deepened, but she made sure to flash Sophia a defiant look that she hoped would stoke her interest. “But… I don’t know if I believe you’re the kind of woman who knows what to do with me.”

Prove me wrong, she was begging with her eyes.

Sophia didn’t rise to the taunt. At least, not directly. “You wouldn’t know what to do with them?” she repeated curiously. “That’s pretty cute. So would you say you’re a pillow princess?”

Paige bit her lip. She could feel it inside her again. The empty, gnawing need that was the furnace of her transformations. “Would… you like it if I was a pillow princess?”

“Oh yes.” Sophia laughed at her. “Definitely. That’s my type, for sure.”

“Fuck!” Paige whimpered, as she was rewritten once more.

She was so pleased. An older woman who liked pillow princesses? Paige had hit the jackpot. She couldn’t let herself fumble this. She just needed to stop pretending to be something she wasn’t.

Bratting? Giving a top some attitude? She’d tried it once, sure. It had seemed a little more dignified, somehow. A little more like what people expected from a punk girl like her. But it hadn’t felt right. Paige was the kind of girl who blew over in a stiff breeze.

She loved the way Sophia was toying with her. Playing with her expectations. Making her change to match them. Paige could feel herself getting hard under her jeans. She’d never been so turned on. And the best part was, she could sense that she could count on Sophia to understand that just because she had a cock, it didn’t mean she was interested in using it.

“That’s better,” Sophia purred approvingly, as she watched Paige whimper and squirm. “Yes, that was just the finishing touch you needed. Now you’re perfect.”

“T-thank you,” Paige whined instinctively. God. She knew how absurd it was for a rough-and-tumble punk like her to sound so meek and submissive. She hoped Sophia was going to bully her about it. “So, um. Maybe, if you wanted, w-we could… get out of here now? Please?”

It was pitiful to beg, but Paige couldn’t help it. She was burning with need. Being around Sophia made her feel even stupider and more tongue-tied than she always was.

Sophia just stared straight at her. Paige could sense those ineffable, eldritch eyes burning behind her sunglasses. “Please what?”

Paige let out a low moan. “P-please, mistress.”

“Good girl,” Sophia told her. Paige moaned again. She could feel herself making a mess of her panties. “Very well.”

Paige shot to her feet with embarrassing eagerness. “Thank you! Um. God. Thank you. I-I’m just really excited, you know? I really got lucky here.”

“Don’t mention it,” Sophia replied kindly, as she rose to her feet. “Besides, I’m the lucky one.”

“You really think so?” Paige asked timidly.

It was hard to believe. A young, dumb punk with a construction job? Paige knew she wasn’t much of a catch for a lady like Sophia. Compared to her classy outfit, Paige’s pink, punk style and short hair were more than a little garish. And she couldn’t even top.

“Of course,” Sophia giggled, leading Paige towards the door of the bar. “How often do I get to meet a girl who’s exactly my type?”

---

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[haleshomeforthederanged]

derek has nightmares. this isn't a surprise to anyone, least of all himself. logistically, it would be a more concerning if he didn't. no one survives the trauma he's been through without a few scars— mental or otherwise.

he deals with it. he knows how to handle himself, how to pick up the pieces and fit them together one by one until he's just shy of whole. once you've established a routine, it's mostly about falling back on the reliance that muscle memory will carry him through.

nothing about it is easy. but. he deals with it.

they seem follow a pattern of sorts.

paige. kate. the fire. being unable to stop jackson from killing the rest of his pack, watching in powerless, paralyzed horror. it's not like they rotate in shifts, but each one happens frequently enough that he almost immediately recognizes the fact that he's dreaming before the rush of adrenaline that his brain pumps through his body in response to his distress does it for him.

this time's different.

he isn't covered in blood, trembling, clutching a lifeless corpse to his chest and he isn't standing in the twitching light cast by towering, billowing flames, smelling burning flesh and feeling the indescribable agony of his pack bonds snapping like brittle rubber bands.

in the traditional sense, this probably wouldn't even be considered a nightmare.

he falls asleep. he opens his eyes.

he's in his bedroom.

not the bedroom in the new pack house, with hunter green walls and stiles' idea of "tasteful decor" marring the walls. it's his old bedroom. there's a gouge on the wooden floor beside the door from cora's ice-skates, and a slightly lighter shade of paint in a splotch over an area that derek's dad patched last year after his elbow found itself in the wall.

derek is lying in bed, and he's not alone. stiles' hair is tickling his nose, his body heat soaking through derek's thin sleep pants. he smells like coconut conditioner— the real stuff that lydia orders in bulk with derek's credit card because it doesn't irritate any of the betas' noses— and chemical-free deodorant.

derek's arm is over his waist, fingers curled loosely into the soft bare skin of his lower back, his other arm bunched under his own neck.

stiles is oblivious, dead to the world in that peculiar way derek is lying to himself if he doesn't admit he finds awfully cute, mouth hanging open around intermittent snores. there's a patch of drool on the pillow perilously close to derek's face.

his chest is full of tiny, invisible threads. one ties him to his big sister. he knows, in a hazy sort of way, that she's sleeping in her bedroom down the hall. if he listens hard enough, there are dozens of heartbeats filling up the house. dozens of pack bonds tie him to each, loose and content.

in some small way, he knows it's a dream. not with the use any of the methods that stiles has taught him, but in a blurry, abstract way. the details of his room are fuzzy, scents floating away.

the feeling in his chest is real, though. the absolute horrible joy.

down the hall, a toilet flushes. derek listens to the creak of floorboards, and throat clearing. it sounds suspiciously like erica, and when the footsteps pass his bedroom door derek recognizes the beat of her heart without any effort.

his entire pack is here. safe.

he noses into stiles' hair and closes his eyes. there's no urge to move, to get up and seek out his mother, his alpha. who knows how the dream would change if he tried, in that nasty way dreams do.

he clings tightly to stiles and breathes in his smell. the dream shifts, dissolving like sand in water. he wakes up holding a pillow in the pitch black of his bedroom.

the case is soft against his bare face. he'd shaved before bed, knowing by morning a shadow of stubble would already be crawling across his face. stupidly, he does it because he knows stiles likes it, had mentioned it casual and off-hand over a cup of coffee and a box full of lore that was the sole thing standing between them and a creature stalking the contents of the preserve with foul intentions.

the fabric is wet under his face. derek has a split second of awareness before a sob bubbles out of his throat and he chokes wetly, mashing his face into the pillow.

his eyes are still red, no electric blue, no beta gold. the pack bonds in his chest are far fewer, but just as strong even stretched taunt across the miles that they're separated from him. his bed is empty, and derek is alone.

[440mxs-wife]

Mail Order Bride, Part 8: Arrivals and Departures

Pairing: Sheriff!McCoy x Paige Stone (OFC). Other characters: Nyota Uhura, Deputy Jim Kirk, Eleanora McCoy, Donna McCoy. Evan, Lyla, Jacob, Tyler (Stone family OCs), Doc Anderson

Word Count: 8540

General warnings:  As the title implies, mail-order bride arrangement, parent’s illness, outlaws, overprotective sister, Wild West-level violence but some fluff as well. Each chapter will have individual warnings as needed.

Chapter warning: Talk of pregnancy, probably still more medical inaccuracy, confrontation with ex, reunion with family, Leonard being just the best husband ever, parental death

A/N: This is set around the 1930′s in the Western U.S. I will endeavor to remain as true to the historical timeline as I can. There may be some....bending of history to fit the narrative, but hopefully nothing major. This is, after all, a work of fiction. :) Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!

A/N 2: This is longer than my other chapters, I know. I thought about splitting into two, but the title wouldn't have worked if I did. It's one of the most personal things I've ever written. In this chapter, my art is imitating my life, and I'm sure you'll understand what I mean when you read it. As always, thank you for reading, and on with the show. ❤

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tears of joy brimmed in Lyla's eyes at seeing her firstborn after such a long absence. "My darling girl," she replied softly, and held her arms out to beckon her daughter to her side. With Leonard's help, Paige carefully lowered herself to sit on the edge of the mattress. She leaned forward as far as her stomach would allow, but she was still within her mother's reach. "Oh, my sweet girl, I can't believe you're here," she sobbed, then gasped as she looked closer. "And you're pregnant?!"

Paige nodded and felt the waves of emotion crashing over her all at once, from being back in her childhood home and seeing her family again. Mother and daughter embraced another few moments and then pulled back. Paige felt Leonard's hand on her knee as he crouched beside her, his thumb caressing the area. She covered his other hand with her own and gave him a watery smile.

Lyla turned to Evan and insisted that she wanted to join the others on the main floor of the house. He tried to discourage the idea, stating that she needed to rest, but Lyla wouldn't hear of it. She was tired of being cooped up in bed, and she was eager to hear more about the handsome man who accompanied her daughter on such a long journey. Evan finally relented and helped his wife walk out of their room, while Leonard assisted Paige.

By the time the four of them arrived in the living room, everyone was occupied with some sort of activity. Two were reading, while the rest were locked into either playing or watching an intense game of chess. Evan helped to get Lyla situated in her chair, as Leonard did for Paige but on the sofa. Jacob brought each of them a glass of lemonade, then took his perch on the arm of the sofa and flashed an expectant look to his sister.

She rolled her eyes at Jacob before clearing her throat for her announcement. "Everyone, I would like you to meet my husband, Leonard McCoy. Len, this is my family." When she called each sibling's name, Leonard acknowledged them with a wave or a nod. Her younger sisters were shy and giggly, as she expected they would be. In contrast, her brothers tried to appear as her "protectors", puffing out their chests to appear stern and tough. She secretly smiled, but also rolled her eyes at their antics.

"Mama, Papa, I know the contract said I would be marrying a man named Matthews," she started, her father nodding in agreement. Paige explained what kind of man Jed Matthews was, and how he met an unfortunate end after getting caught cheating at cards. She mentioned how she didn't know about any of Jed's shortcomings until she was saved by the sheriff, Leonard, at the train station.

After the shock wore off, Leonard quickly assured his in-laws that it wasn't their fault Jed had lied in his advertisement. He told them he admired Paige for what she was doing and her reasons for it. It made him want to do what was right for her and her family by taking over the contract. "I didn't expect to fall for her," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "However, she had my heart almost from the get-go. And it sure didn't hurt that she was the prettiest and kindest woman I'd ever met," he winked at Paige, causing her to blush.

Evan and Lyla could see how much in love their daughter was with her husband, reminding them a bit about their own courtship. It might not have been the most traditional of beginnings, but they knew Paige had a good man by her side. Because she trusted him, they silently agreed to do the same and officially welcomed Leonard into the family.

***

After a dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread, Tyler and the younger kids took care of the dishes. Once that chore was finished, Paige was roped into a friendly game of Monopoly with her siblings. Leonard chose instead to watch, so he could keep close to his wife and make sure she was comfortable. Between turns, Paige's and sometimes Leonard's hands roamed over her stomach as if to soothe the baby growing inside.

Throughout the game, Evan and Lyla sat their respective chairs, soaking up the atmosphere. Even though there were a few heated moments, the jabs traded between siblings were all in the spirit of the game. At one point, Evan glanced at his wife, who had a contented smile on her face as she watched her children laugh amongst themselves.

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his own face as he turned towards Lyla. "You are so beautiful when you smile, my darling," he noted.

Lyla chuckled softly. "Thank you, my love. I am....so happy right now. All of my children, together, under one roof, enjoying each others' company. Our eldest daughter is married to a good, strong, kind man, and she's having his child. My heart is full, Evan. This is one of the most perfect moments I could ever hope for, and I don't want to miss a second of it." She reached over and held out her hand, palm up, which he took in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

***

A few days later, Paige and Leonard volunteered to do the grocery shopping for the family. Her sisters, Charlotte, Holly, and Molly, along with her youngest brother, Eddie, asked to accompany them. The girls insisted that they knew best what was needed at the house, while Paige wanted to make sure that Eddie was included.

When the kids asked if they could tag along, Leonard shrugged and quipped, "the more, the merrier," as he held the door open for his wife. They borrowed Evan's 1932 Chevrolet Confederate BA, since it was big enough to fit them all. He gave Paige a wink and a smile before closing her door and settling into the driver's seat.

Once inside the store, Leonard decided they should split the grocery duties. "Us men will handle the butcher's counter, while you ladies get started on the rest. That sound good to you, little man?" he asked Eddie. The young man's eyes grew wide as he gravely nodded and gave Leonard the thumbs-up. Leonard patted him on the shoulder, then gave Paige a long kiss on the cheek. "See you soon, darlin'," he grinned.

"Well, girls, looks like we have our work cut out for us," Paige told her sisters, smiling as the "men" walked away. Her eyes followed the pair and watched as her brother grabbed Leonard's hand, causing him to look down at Eddie. Before they disappeared around a corner, her husband shot her a mischievous wink and a small wave. She felt the tears forming in her eyes, knowing that, without a doubt, Leonard was going to be an amazing father.

"Sissy?" Charlotte piped up. Paige hummed in response, finally tearing her eyes away to focus her attention on her sister. "Are you having a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"Oh, Charlie, I won't know until the baby is born," she explained.

"What if you're having twins, like us?" Holly gasped excitedly.

"I am NOT having twins, Holls," she chuckled. "Twins would be wonderful, but it won't be this time around. I'm sure Doc Anderson would've told us by now if there were two babies instead of only one." Paige marked off a few more items on the list and massaged her lower back. She was about to head for the next aisle when she heard someone call for her from behind.

"Oh, my goodness, Paige? Paige Stone is that you?" the voice exclaimed. It was one that Paige would recognize anywhere, especially after all of the nasty remarks that had ever been thrown in her direction.

Paige cringed as she stopped in her tracks, her hands tightly curled around the shopping cart handle. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to keep her stress to a minimum for the baby's sake. "Hello, Abigail," she finally managed.

Abigail gave Paige the once-over from head to toe, her eyes finally landing on Paige's midsection. "Hmm, I see congratulations are in order! You do know who the father is, don't you?" she snickered.

Before Paige's outrage could take hold, a man approached Abigail's cart squinting at a piece of paper in his hand. "Darling, I found the list you were looking for. We should start with--" Thomas abruptly ended his statement and replaced it with a question. "Paige? Paige Stone? What on earth are you doing back in Columbus?"

By this time, Paige's patience had reached its end. "First of all, it's Paige McCoy, if you don't mind," she snapped. "I left here and got married almost a year ago. I live happily in Boulder, Colorado with my husband, and he happens to be the sheriff," she retorted. "Second, I only came back for a visit and to introduce him to my family. Not that it should matter at all to either of you."

"Is that a fact? Well, I had heard that you left town, but no one knew exactly why. I mean, there were so many rumors, it's hard to know what the truth really is. So, tell us, Mrs. McCoy, where is this husband of yours?" Abigail sneered, then leaned in close to Paige. "You know, I don't think there is a Mr. 'Sheriff-of-Boulder' McCoy husband. I think you made him up. You're wearing a fake wedding ring and only telling people you're married to avoid the disgrace of being an unwed mother out in public," she hissed.

"Excuse me?" a deep voice from behind them demanded. Everyone turned to see that Leonard and Eddie had returned from the butcher counter. He stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest, eyes narrowed at Thomas. "Is there some sort of problem here?"

"What business is it of yours? Who in the world are you anyway?" Thomas scoffed.

Leonard's face darkened at the other man's attitude. "I'm her husband, Sheriff Leonard McCoy, if you don't mind," he replied evenly.

Thomas audibly gulped. "W-well, you see, Paige and I are old friends who happened to run into each other after a long time," he stammered.

"You know, in my experience, 'old friends' usually don't make baseless accusations about a fake marriage. I don't take kindly to people who think it's okay to harass my wife. No one--and I mean, no one--has the right to speak to my wife like that." He snaked a protective arm around Paige's waist and tucked her into his side as he glared at Thomas and Abigail.

Paige glanced up and locked eyes with him and mouthed the words, "thank you" to her husband. Then he kissed the side of her head and mumbled "I love you" against her skin.

"W-well, we have a lot to do today, but perhaps we can chat some other time. Come on, Abigail, let's get our shopping done," Thomas insisted, gently tugging his wife's elbow. "Congratulations, Paige. On your marriage, and um....everything," he hastily added, then steered his wife away from the scene.

Leonard hooked a finger under Paige's chin and tilted it up to catch a glimpse of her warm hazel eyes behind her wire-rimmed spectacles. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Of course I am, my love," she replied. After a peck on the lips from her husband, she returned her attention to the task at hand. "Okay, now that they're gone, what's next on our list?"

***

That night as they lay snuggled together in bed, their talk turned to the events at the grocery store. Leonard laughed at Holly's question about having twins, and how Charlotte wanted to know whether it was a boy or girl. "Son or daughter, makes no difference to me, only that he or she is healthy and so are you," he remarked.

Paige smiled and patted his chest. "That's exactly the way I feel as well," she murmured. "I saw Eddie take your hand on the way to the butcher's counter. I thought that was so sweet, Len," she whispered. "He's always been kind of quiet, being the youngest of eight, but I've never seen him take so easily to someone he just met. Means he trusts you, and that's one of the ways I know you're going to be an incredible father."

Leonard's heart swelled at hearing his wife's praise. He admired how easily she interacted with her brothers and sisters, with understanding, kindness and love. It reinforced what he already knew, which was that she would make an outstanding mother. "Say, who was that woman who was giving you so much trouble in the grocery store?"

She snorted with disgust at remembering the earlier incident. "Ugh. Her? That was Abigail Forrester, now Abigail Morgan, Thomas' wife. He decided to end the relationship with me in favor of one with her," she muttered.

"He let you go? Then I suppose I should send him a fruit basket, or thank you card, or something, because he really did me a huge favor," he affirmed with a laugh. When he saw the shocked and annoyed look on Paige's face, he quickly moved to clarify his thoughts. "I-I mean, he broke your heart, which I should punch him for, but if he hadn't ended things with you, we might never have met."

"Hmm, I suppose you have a point," she replied grudgingly. "I can't even imagine my life without you in it, and I don't want to, either."

"Darlin', a world without you is one I don't want to live in. The only place I want to be is where you are mine and I am most definitely yours." He curled his arm around his wife to pull her closer for a kiss that quickly turned passionate. "I love you, Paige."

"I love you, Leonard. Sweet dreams, my love." She reached behind her to turn off the light and closed her eyes.

***

Soon it was time for the McCoys to begin their return trip back to Boulder, Colorado. The entire Stone family insisted on seeing them off at the depot, including Lyla. Accepting her decision was not without some difficulty on Evan's and Paige's part, each encouraging her to stay home and rest. However, Lyla maintained that she felt well enough, and would therefore accompany them to the station.

With the luggage situated on top of the car, everyone piled in as best as possible, and they journeyed to the train station. Paige and Leonard were on the receiving end of many hugs that day, from siblings and parents. She could tell that her husband was still a bit overwhelmed with all the attention from her large family as compared to his smaller one. Nevertheless, she happily noted that he had relaxed a bit as compared to when they first arrived. 

Finally, it was Evan's and Lyla's turn to say their last goodbyes before it was time to board the train. Leonard stuck his hand out to Paige's father, who grasped it and pulled him into a fierce hug. "You're a good man, Leonard McCoy," Evan remarked, his voice gruff with emotion. "I know I don't need to tell you to take care of my daughter. But, as her father, I'm required to remind you," he chuckled.

"I understand, and thank you, sir. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to take care of Paige. You and Lyla did a great job of raising her, and she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I hope you and some or all of the family can visit after the baby is born," Leonard suggested.

"We'll do our best, though a lot of that depends on Lyla and her health. She's a strong woman, God love her, and she's battling this with all she's got. I know she'll keep fighting so she can meet her grandbaby at some point," Evan remarked.

A few feet away, mother and daughter were exchanging their goodbyes. "I'm so proud of you, Paige. You found yourself a wonderful man who loves you, and now you're going to be a mama, too," she gave her a watery smile.

"I'm scared, Mama," Paige whispered. "I mean, what if I can't do this? What if I'm not fit to be a mother?"

Lyla cradled her daughter's face in her hands and locked eyes with her. "Darling, listen. You've had plenty of practice with your brothers and sisters, and they love you. I have faith that you can do this, that you will be an amazing mother. Trust yourself and trust that husband of yours, and you'll be all right, sweetheart," she whispered, a few wayward tears sliding down her face.

Paige nodded and covered her mother's hands with her own. "I love you, Mama," she choked out.

"I love you too, my sweet girl," Lyla answered, touching her forehead to Paige's and took a deep breath. By this time, the men had joined them. Sensing the heavy exchange of emotions, Evan and Leonard put their arms around their wives in a kind of group hug.

When the conductor bellowed out the last call, Leonard and Paige broke away and reluctantly boarded the train. They found their seats, which had a window that faced the platform. As the train pulled away, everyone waved frantically until they were out of sight. Evan gathered his family and shuffled back to the car to go home. Although the house felt a little empty without Paige and Leonard, the family took solace in the new memories made from the visit.

***

In the weeks since the McCoys returned home, Leonard was kept busy training his two new deputies, Carter Davis and Pavel Chekov. At the same time, Paige was occupied with setting up the nursery. Leonard and Jim had placed the crib against the wall, with a changing table at one end and a chest of drawers next to it. Little by little, Paige had been washing the baby clothes and blankets she had received thus far and placing them in the drawers.

Nyota and Christine were only too happy to help their dear friend as they fawned over the tiny clothes and shoes of various sizes being added to the drawers. Sometimes Donna and Eleanora would visit as well, often leading to Leonard coming home to a house full of giggling women. He didn't mind at all, because he knew Paige needed the distraction and companionship while he was at work.

Fortunately, his deputies were doing well enough in their training that he was able to leave the office a bit early one day. He was looking forward to seeing his wife after some of the long hours he'd been working. Before leaving town, he stopped at the florist for a bouquet of assorted blooms that he hoped would brighten her day.

However, when Leonard walked in the door, he was met with silence rather than the usual group of chattering women. Since this was unusual, he called out for Paige. He didn't hear anything at first, so he called her name again, straining his ears as he walked further into the house. That was when he heard a soft, "in here" from his wife. A strangled sob escaped with it, accompanied by a sniffle coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Paige was sitting at the table, her hands rubbing absently over her ever-growing stomach. She was brokenly humming what he surmised was a lullaby, tears streaming down her cheeks. He watched as her hands stopped and she dropped her head into her hands. Her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs and Leonard could stand it no longer.

He lightly knocked on the doorframe because he wanted to make her aware of his presence without startling her. Paige gasped in surprise, her fingertips hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "Uh, L-Len, you're home early. Is everything okay?" she asked, flustered.

Leonard moved further into the kitchen and placed the bouquet on the table. He knelt between Paige's legs, one hand resting on her thigh and reached up with the other to cradle her face. "I believe I should be asking you that, darlin'," he remarked. Then he held out his arms and Paige wasted no time in throwing her arms around his neck. She clung to him as closely as she could at this stage in her pregnancy.

His hand stroked the back of her head as her sobs shook her body. "Oh, sweetheart, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" he murmured.

After a few minutes, her cries had subsided to mostly sniffles. Paige drew back so she could wipe her cheeks and face her husband. "I....I was thinking about Mama today. Been doing that a lot since we've been back, trying to prepare myself. Because sooner or later, this illness of hers is going to run its course."

"Baby, I know you're probably still a little shaken up after seeing her. Maybe because you haven't been there to know the extent of how her illness has affected her. She's still here, though, and fightin' so hard to stay here," he affirmed.

"But, I have to face the fact that someday, she's not going to be here. And it's not fair, Len! There's so much she'll miss, like birthdays, anniversaries, and seeing my brothers and sisters grow up. I....and what about our child? Will she even be here to meet him or her?" she cried.

"Darlin', I wish to God I knew the answer to that question. And you're right, it isn't fair. Not to you, or your mama, or anyone. I can only imagine how hard this is for you and your family to be experiencing, and I wish you didn't have to," he responded.

"I know, I wish it wasn't this way as well. I can't even fathom what my father's going through, watching the love of his life battling for every breath. Knowing that one day, she won't be there across the table or on the other side of the bed from him," she added softly.

Leonard pulled her even closer, flush with his chest and his chin resting on top of her head. "It would leave a terrible achin' in my heart if for some reason you were gone from my life," he shared. "I don't know if that's somethin' I'd ever get over."

"I feel the same, Len. You're in my heart and my soul, and a hurt like that would take a long time to get over, not that I ever could. I just wish there was something more I could do for her, for them. I'm the oldest, I feel like I need to step up and take charge and help out. Only, we have our life here as well," Paige noted.

"Sugar, the time will come when your help will be needed, though maybe not in the most obvious ways," he offered. He felt her head nod against his chest in response.

Paige noticed the bouquet on the table and caught Leonard's gaze, flashing him a shy smile. "Are those for me?" she wondered.

Without breaking eye contact, he nodded and grazed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Though no flower in the world could ever match your beauty, my love," he murmured.

"You sure are a smooth talker, Leonard McCoy," she replied with a wry grin. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, sugar," he returned as he caught her in his embrace once again.

***

The next couple of months pass without much incident, with Paige's body continuing to grow as she drew ever nearer to her due date. During that time, she made sure that the house was spotless, as if preparing for a royal visit. If she wasn't scrubbing or sweeping something, she was rearranging the nursery, anything to keep herself busy.

Leonard tried to convince her that everything was perfect, and that she was only going to make herself more tired. Fortunately, his mother explained that Paige was "nesting", which was completely normal and part of getting ready for the baby. She stated that the best he could do would be to support her and keep her from becoming completely exhausted during this phase. There would be time for that later, while bringing his son or daughter into the world.

As she neared her approximate due date, Paige began to experience some of the symptoms of the first stages of labor that Dr. Anderson described. It started slowly, with some tightening around her midsection that lasted for a moment or two, then subsided, only to return some time later. She alternated between wanting to sit down and relax to feeling restless and going for a walk around the house. Then there were the endless trips to the bathroom at all hours. She was almost to the point where she considered sleeping in the bathtub, if only to be nearer to the toilet.

On one of these nights, Paige felt the urge, so she carefully eased out of bed so as not to wake her husband. As soon as she stood, she experienced a gush of fluid from between her legs. This was followed by a sharp stab in her abdomen, causing her to cry out in pain. At her outburst, Leonard jolted out of bed and rushed to her side. He helped her to the chair in their room while he regained his bearings and focused on the next steps.

"It's all right, sweetheart, you're going to be okay," he soothed. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to get something to clean you up," he winked then ran off to the bathroom. He returned with a warm wet washcloth and helped her into a change of clothes. "Let's get you back in bed and as comfy as possible, then I'll call Doc Anderson."

With Leonard's assistance, Paige got back into bed, with several pillows stacked behind her to keep her sitting upright. It wasn't long before there was another sharp pain to her midsection. She gripped the sheets, attempting to ride out the wave of extreme discomfort she was feeling. Her breaths were coming out in short bursts as a way to manage the contraction until it eventually subsided.

Once he was sure Paige was stable, Leonard kissed her forehead and ran downstairs to the phone to call Doc Anderson. The physician relayed some instructions and promised he and his nurse would be at their house as soon as possible.

Leonard then called Jim to put him in charge of the sheriff's office, after he relayed a few instructions concerning Carter and Pavel. Jim assured him that everything would be fine, that all would be taken care of in his absence. He reminded Leonard that he needed to stay focused on Paige and the baby and sent his best wishes for a smooth delivery.

After he replaced the phone receiver, he walked over and unlocked the door. As soon as he turned the latch, he heard the start of another contraction and rushed up the stairs. "How far apart are they, darlin'?" he asked, grasping her hand.

He watched as she scrunched her eyes shut and tried to breathe through the pain. "Ab-about....e-every f-four m-m-minutes," she answered between bursts of air.

"Okay, sweetheart, I've got you. Doc Anderson is on his way--" he paused when he heard movement downstairs, then smiled. "In fact, he just got here. We're up here, Doc!" he called.

Soon Dr. Anderson and Nurse Kelley reached the top of the stairs and they strode in with kind smiles to assess the situation. "Looks like Baby McCoy is intent on making an appearance," he commented. "Let's see where we are in the process and how your labor is progressing, shall we?" He moved to the end of the bed and began his examination.

Leonard moved to sit behind his wife, her back against his chest. The friendly but efficient physician took note of how quickly the contractions were occurring to determine the stage of labor. Dr. Anderson concluded that Paige was fully dilated and would soon feel the urge to push, and encouraged her to do so. Leonard was her support, both physically and emotionally, mumbling a stream of reassuring words in her ear.

A few but exhausting hours later, a new life was welcomed into the world and into the McCoy family. A healthy baby girl, Layla Ann McCoy, was born and it was love at first sight for her parents. After she was cleaned up and checked over, Dr. Anderson placed the newborn on her mother's chest, her father looking on in wonder.

"Congratulations, Sheriff and Mrs. McCoy," Nurse Kelley remarked, with Dr. Anderson echoing the sentiment. "She's beautiful."

"Gets that from her mother," Leonard replied softly, then kissed Paige's temple. With their eyes still locked on their daughter, they thanked the doctor and his nurse for their assistance. Dr. Anderson stuck around long enough to make sure the baby got started with her first feeding. Then he and Nurse Kelley bid the new parents goodbye and quietly exited the house.

***

News of Layla's birth spread like wildfire among their friends and Leonard's family. Donna and Eleanora barely waited all of twenty-four hours before they stopped by to see the new addition. As expected, Auntie Donna and Grandma Eleanora were immediately smitten with the baby. They also brought a few prepared meals to keep in the refrigerator. This would prove useful for the new parents while they adjusted to a new schedule or if they didn't feel like cooking.

Other visitors soon followed, with Leonard's protective side making an appearance when Paige or Layla showed signs of needing sleep. His girls were of the utmost importance to him, and he wasn't afraid to escort visitors out of the house if he thought they'd stayed a bit too long.

Leonard also made sure to send the birth announcement in a telegram back to Paige's family back in Columbus, Ohio. A few days later, Evan sent a return message that stated they would be arriving in Boulder within two weeks' time, and Leonard was hopeful that the visit would include Lyla. With her inclusion, it would mean doctors deemed her well enough to travel that far from home, as long as she was with the family.

He wanted their visit to be a surprise, yet was well aware that Paige would want everything to be perfect, including a spotless house. However, he was also learning the challenges of adapting to a newborn and how it can wreak havoc on a new parent's sleep cycle. For this reason, he called for reinforcements, namely Nyota, Christine, Eleanora, and Donna. The ladies all pitched in to keep things neat and orderly, as well as to provide a bit of respite for Paige.

On the day of the family's arrival, Leonard got ready for work as if it were any other day. Even though he knew it was going to be anything but an ordinary day. He couldn't wait to see the look on his wife's face when she saw her family standing on their doorstep. The thought curved his lips into a smile which was still present when he went downstairs for breakfast.

Paige had completed Layla's morning feeding, then placed her in the bassinet that sat at one end of the table while she fixed breakfast. She had just finished sliding some scrambled eggs onto Leonard's plate when he waltzed into the kitchen. He paused at the table to bid his daughter good morning and kiss the top of her head, cooing at her to try and coax a smile out of her.

He soon abandoned his efforts of a smile from Layla and turned his attention to Paige. "Mmm, good morning, sweetheart. This breakfast looks amazing, thank you," he beamed before leaning down and pulling her closer for a kiss. He plucked the plates from her hands and turned to set them on the table before he pulled out her chair for her.

"Thank you, my love," she replied brightly. They each dug into their meal, with sounds of approval coming from Leonard after nearly every bite. When he was with Jocelyn, he was responsible for most of the cooking, which was mediocre at best. Though his ex-wife's mother taught her the basics, Jocelyn's culinary knowledge didn't develop much beyond those fundamentals.

Luckily, Paige was more than qualified in this area, which saved his palate but threatened to expand his waistline. She was especially gifted with her baked goods, from cookies and cakes, to muffins and pies. Prior to having Layla, her sweet treats were frequently for sale in Nyota's café. No birthday in Leonard's office passed without a birthday cake from Mrs. McCoy, in whatever flavor the birthday person desired.

When Leonard was finished with breakfast, he placed their plates in the sink to be washed later, then returned to the table. He leaned down to kiss the top of Paige's head, but first hooked a finger under her chin to catch sight of her warm, hazel eyes he adored. "Sure wish I didn't have to work today. I'd much rather stay home with you," he grinned.

"Hmm, I'd much rather you stayed home with me too," she agreed. "But you still have those two new deputies to boss around, and that's probably more fun than I'll be having around here."

If you only knew, he thought. "I suppose I should get going. Lots of 'bossing around' to do," he smirked. "I love you, sweetheart," he remarked as his lips met the crown of her head.

He drew back to see her beaming smile directed towards him. "I love you too, Len. Have a good day at work, and please be safe," she added. 

"I will darlin', I promise," he responded. He pulled his watch out of his pocket and checked the time. Only another hour before the Stone family would be arriving on the train, and he couldn't wait to reveal the surprise to his wife.

He leaned over Layla's bassinet and noticed she was asleep. His finger gently traced her delicate cheek, being careful not to wake her. "Be good for Mama, babygirl," he whispered before heading for the door. He paused at the threshold, shot a wink at Paige over his shoulder, then closed the door behind him.

***

After Leonard departed, Paige moved into the kitchen and began to tidy up from breakfast, humming to herself as she worked. Our first anniversary is next week, she suddenly realized. A smile crept up on her face when she thought of the events of the past year and how much her life had changed. From leaving home and arriving in Boulder, to the friends she's made, and of course, in her marriage to Leonard. And now, I'm a mama, she noted as she leaned down to kiss her sleeping daughter's forehead.

First anniversary is said to be paper, which lead her to the idea of a book as a gift for Leonard. He devoured crime novels, which some may think unusual for a sheriff surrounded by it every day. Not Leonard, though, as one of his favorite authors was Agatha Christie. Paige made a note to herself to check the bookstore in town for Miss Christie's latest novel when she's there for her weekly visit with Nyota.

Three hours later and satisfied with her progress, Paige was enjoying a glass of cold water when she heard a knock at the door. Puzzled, she set down her drink on the table and made her way to the door. "Who is it?" she called. "Len, is that you?" she asked, thinking he may have decided to come home for lunch but had perhaps forgotten his key.

"It's me, sugar, but I can't reach my keys out of my pocket. My hands are full, can you please open the door for me?" he explained through the door.

Paige unlocked the door and the sight before her was enough to knock her over with a feather. Her parents and all of her siblings were standing on the front porch, having traveled all the way from Columbus, Ohio. "SURPRISE!!" her family whisper-yelled.

Her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes as she scanned everyone's face until finally landing on her husband. "Sorry, darlin', for fibbin' to you, but I very much wanted this to be a surprise."

"Oh, it is, it absolutely is, Len," she affirmed. "This is wonderful! I'm guessing this why you're not at work today?" she wondered.

Leonard nodded. "Jim's mindin' the office for the next few days, so I can be here with you and your family. Can ya forgive me?" he asked.

Paige hesitated, but only for a moment before her face broke out into a huge smile. "Of course I can, but there's nothing to forgive, Len. This is the best surprise ever!" she gushed. "Goodness, where are my manners? Come in, come in, everyone!"

Leonard helped usher the family into the house, where hugs were exchanged all around. Evan and Lyla remarked how lovely their home was, while the kids talked about their first train ride. Everyone was trying to keep quiet because the baby was still sleeping, but it wasn't long before the first cry was heard.

Paige rose from her seat at the table and reached inside the bassinet to calm the awakening child. "Shh, sweetheart, it's okay, Mama's here. Mama's here," she crooned. Leonard was at her side, his hand stroking his daughter's hair as she worked through the process of waking up. He pressed a kiss to the top of Layla's head and offered to change her diaper. Paige carefully transferred the baby to her husband's waiting arms and gazed fondly at him as he walked upstairs.

"We named her Layla Ann McCoy. She'll have to meet her Nana, Papa, and all of her aunties and uncles after she comes back downstairs from a diaper change," Paige giggled. "While we wait, would anyone like anything to drink?"

A few minutes later, Paige was pulling the glasses out of the cupboard when she was startled by the arms sneaking around her waist from behind. A small shriek of surprise escaped her, while she felt the rumble of laughter in Leonard's chest as he pulled her close to his body. "Relax, darlin', it's just me. I left our little one in the very capable hands of her grandmother so I could help you," he explained.

The couple returned to the group with the refreshments and distributed them around the room. In the meantime, Layla had since left her grandmother's arms and had been passed to her grandfather. Evan's eyes shone with unshed tears as he gazed at his granddaughter, her hand clasped tightly around his index finger. "She's beautiful, Paige. Most perfect thing I've ever seen," he whispered.

Lyla reached out her hand, beckoning her daughter to her side. "She's amazing, just like her mother," she affirmed.

"Thank you, Mama and Papa. She's really a good baby, not too fussy. Of course, as soon as I say this, she'll start crying and prove me wrong," Paige giggled and everyone else joined in. "Where is everyone staying while you're here? I'd love for you to stay here, but we don't have enough rooms," she mentioned.

Leonard gently placed a hand on her shoulder and her attention swung to his soft gaze. "Ma and Donna offered up the empty rooms in their house, which isn't too far away from here. Just up the road," he confirmed.

Paige slumped into his side as he curled his arm around her and held her close. "You really did think of everything, didn't you, my love," she murmured. "Thank you so much, Len."

"Anything to see a smile on your lovely face, sugar," he replied as they watched everyone interact with their daughter.

***

The next few days included socializing with and getting better acquainted with Eleanora and Donna. Leonard drove Paige and the baby to the house on his way to work so she could be with the family. Once he got her settled in, he grabbed himself a muffin and a coffee, kissed his wife and daughter goodbye, and left for the office.

When they all headed to town for the weekly grocery run, they stopped by Nyota's café for lunch. Not only was she happy to see her best friend and Layla, but to meet Paige's family as well. Warm hugs were exchanged, and there were free hot fudge sundaes all around, much to the delight of Paige's siblings.

Before the last night of the family's visit, Paige decided to have an early Thanksgiving dinner, since everyone was together. Leonard's mother and sister were invited, as were the sheriff's deputies and their partners. The seating arrangements had to be creative, as the table wasn't large enough to accommodate everyone, but no one cared. Being together was the most important, and as long as they were, that's all that mattered.

Since Paige did most of the cooking, she was shooed out of her own kitchen when it was time for clean-up duty, albeit under protest. Evan and Leonard assumed dish duty, while Jacob and Tyler hung around in case there was any "man talk" going on. Paige and the younger siblings joined their mother and the others in the living room, where Layla was being fed, courtesy of her Nana.

Paige watched as her mother guided Layla through the feeding process, burping her every so often. After eight children, Lyla was definitely an expert, though each child was different for her. "I remember when you were this small," she remarked softly, her eyes never leaving the baby's face. "After you were done feeding, you'd snuggle right into the crook of my arm and go straight to sleep."

"Layla does pretty much the same thing, whether it's me or Len that's feeding her," Paige replied. "How're you doin', Mama?" she wondered.

Lyla sighed. "I'm doin' the best I can, sweetheart. I take it one day at a time, try to get the most joy possible out of every day. Your father, bless his soul, has been with me every step of the way, no matter what, in good days and not-so-good days. He's definitely taking the 'in sickness and in health' portion of our vows very seriously," she added with a watery chuckle.

Oh Mama, she thought as she fought back the tears gathering at her lash line.

By this time, the kitchen was all clean and those on duty for it returned to the living room. Seeing that Layla was asleep, Leonard gently scooped her up and took her upstairs and tucked her into her crib. She fussed a little at the loss of contact with him, but soon relaxed and settled back into sleep mode.

When he returned to the living room, Evan was in the middle of a story about something that happened at his workplace. Jacob chimed in afterwards with news from his job, and the others talked about what they were learning in school. One by one, Paige's brothers and sisters were showing signs of sleepiness, thus it was agreed for everyone to return to Eleanora's for the evening.

The next morning, Leonard and Jim drove the family and their luggage to the train station for the trip back to Columbus. Paige and Layla rode with Leonard, while Donna and Eleanora tagged along with Jim. Many tearful goodbyes were exchanged, along with lingering hugs and wishes for a safe trip home. Paige took Jacob and Tyler aside and implored them to look out for their parents in her absence, not that they needed to be reminded.

When the conductor hollered the final call for ticketed passengers, the Stone family reluctantly peeled themselves away and boarded the train. As luck would have it, they managed to secure window seats for one last look before they were pulled away from the station. Paige balanced Layla against her hip and waved her little hand to the family as the train departed.

***

The day of Layla's six-month appointment was a bright, sunny day, with only a few wispy clouds in the sky. Dr. Anderson was pleased with her development and how she'd reached every milestone for her age. Leonard and Paige ended the day with lunch at Nyota's café and visited Donna and Eleanora before finally heading home.

Since Layla had fallen asleep in her car seat, Leonard carried her upstairs to her crib to continue her afternoon nap. He fully intended to sneak in some quality snuggle time with his wife while his daughter slept. With Layla occupying so much of their time, it was important to him that he keep that physical connection with Paige. He wanted to show how much he loved her, not only as a wife and mother, but also as a woman.

Paige sat down on the couch and started to arrange the pillows in the corner, leaving room for Leonard to join her. She liked to sit and rest her back to his chest, his arms holding her close to his body. She was reaching for a blanket to drape over them when the phone rang, which caused her to freeze in her movements.

She rose from her seat to answer the phone, each step filling her with trepidation. Most anyone she knew preferred to communicate in person, rather than use the telephone. As she approached the ringing phone, her fears grew that this would be the call she'd been dreading for many months. "Hello?"

"Hey, Paige," the voice on the other end answered shakily. It was Jacob and it sounded like he'd been crying but was trying to hold it together. "I have some news for you about Mama."

Paige took a sharp intake of breath at his response. She didn't notice that Leonard had returned to the living room and immediately knew something had happened. He rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "What is it, Jacob? What's happened, is Mama okay?" she asked urgently.

Jacob explained that about a week ago, Mama had fallen in the kitchen. When she stuck her hand out to brace herself for the fall, she ended up with a deep cut on her thumb. "Papa took her to the hospital to get stitched up. When they took her vital signs, the results with her heart and lungs caused the doctor to be concerned, so she was admitted."

"Wait a second, so she's in the hospital?" she wondered. By Jacob's hesitation to answer, she knew there was more to the story, so she asked him to continue.

"They hooked her up to one of those machines to give her breathing treatments, only it wasn't really helping much. Over the past few days, she kept getting weaker until....I'm so sorry, Paige, but Mama's gone," he choked out.

The receiver dropped from Paige's hand and her knees buckled under her; however, Leonard fortunately caught her in time. He guided her back to sit on the sofa, then went back to the phone. He could hear Jacob calling out for his sister, so Leonard assured him that he would take care of her. He offered what he hoped were some comforting words, then ended the call.

Paige was still in a state of shock, not knowing what to think or what to do. All she knew was that her mama, the person she turned to for guidance and share her joys, was now gone. And she didn't get the chance to say goodbye. That thought alone opened the floodgates and she broke down as if her heart had shattered into a million pieces.

Leonard returned to her side instantly, gathering her in his arms to comfort her. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I know how much your ma meant to you," he murmured. Although he'd only met his in-laws twice, he felt as if he'd known them since the day he and Paige met. They welcomed him into their family, without question, despite their non-traditional courtship.

As he held and comforted his distraught wife, his thoughts drifted to when he lost his father, David, all those years ago. An incurable illness had taken his life as well, which left a teenaged Leonard as the man of the house to look after his mother and sister. Perhaps that was why he became a sheriff, so he could protect those who couldn't do so for themselves.

After some time, Paige's sobs gave way to quiet whimpers and sniffles, though Leonard continued to hold her. His hand rubbed up and down her back to soothe her while he whispered words of comfort in her ears. When she placed her palms on his chest and pushed a little, he loosened his hold a bit. He brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Then he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and kissed her forehead.

It wasn't much longer before they heard Layla's cries, signaling she was done with her nap and wanted out of her crib. Paige started to rise from her seat, but Leonard nudged her as he insisted he would attend to their daughter. He hooked a finger under her chin to tilt her face up to meet his, then leaned in and kissed her lips. "I'll be right back, my love," he promised.

While she waited for Leonard to return with Layla, she could hear him up in the room, chattering away with her. It brought a small smile to her face, hearing how sweet he was in his one-sided conversation. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice right away that he had returned to the living room, Layla on his hip. "See there, sweet pea? There's your beautiful mommy," he cooed. "She's kind of sad right now, and I think she needs some lovin's from you," he winked.

Paige gave Leonard a tired smile and held out her arms. "Come see Mama, sweetheart," she replied softly. He obliged, and watched as she embraced their child, eyes closed and gently swaying her side to side. He decided that some tea may help his wife relax, so he quietly excused himself from the room.

Once he had left, Paige positioned Layla lengthwise on her thighs, with her head resting on her mother's knees, and her feet pointed at her stomach. Layla's hands tightly grasped Paige's thumbs, while her remaining fingers curled around her daughter's tiny fists. "Someday, my little love, I'm gonna tell you allll about your grandmother. She only met you that one time, but I know she loved you sooo much. We even named you after her. Well, sort of, anyway," she gave a watery chuckle.

Leonard stood silently in the doorway, watching, as Paige continued. "I remember everything she ever told me, everything she taught me, and I can't wait to share it all with you." She brushed away a teardrop that had landed on her daughter's forehead before picking her up and placing her on her shoulder. "I love you so much, Layla," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Her eyes then landed on Leonard, tears streaming from them in earnest now.

He quickly crossed the room and sat down beside her, pulling mother and baby close to his side. "Shh, it's all right, sweetheart. I've got you," he soothed. They stayed curled up together for some time, until Leonard felt Paige's breathing had evened out because she'd fallen asleep.

Leonard gently plucked Layla from her mother's arms and rose from his seat. After placing his daughter in the bassinet, he nudged his wife until she was laying down on the sofa. He draped a blanket over her sleeping form and returned to pick up his daughter. "Let's get you somethin' to eat, hmm?" he suggested as they headed to the kitchen together.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags:

@marvelouslytrekking​ @writercole​ @spacedancer1701​ @anna-phora @hlabounty96 @darkestfireee​​  @rooweighton​​  @phoenixisred @avnging-221b @differentbluebirdfury @missvelvetsstuff @evangeliamerryll

[hannahwatcheshorror]

TAROT (2024)

A Cabin in the Woods style story about some college kids in the wrong place who find the wrong cards (and do readings with said cards). The production value makes it worth watching because it is scary, the story is just a little ridiculous, borderline silly at times. Very creepy creeps and spooky spooks await these ill-fated friends!

⭐⭐⭐

Never have I ever seen a person wear their loved ones old hospital bracelet as remembrance of them. The memory of that person in the hospital is the hardest part and or not even really how you remember the person so why use it as a sort of horcrux for them? It just seemed over the top for me, like, yeah, we get your mom was someone who was in the hospital a lot, but that shouldn’t have been her only character trait.

Also never have I heard before that Tarot readings are so set in stone (like when she would ask about her mom surviving the sickness). I thought it was more open for interpretation and a little less solidly YES/NO and a lot more MAYBE. I still think that it is supposed to be more open, just this movie and the main girl's interpretation of how the readings go is too strict. Anyway, the story is that a group of friends go to a cabin, break into a room and find the Tarot cards and after about 50 different warnings from the girl who is gonna do the readings, she does readings for literally everyone in the room (including herself). Then the bodies start to drop. (Whoops)

Elise was first and she “had a rough slip” or whatever but then got absolutely hammered over and over with the ladder by the high priestess and I feel like that was entirely unfair but, okay. The second kid was a rule breaker by his star sign so the hermit's light led him to a restricted section of the subway and he got hit by a train. Brutal. Madeline was told explicitly by Heather NOT to run but when the demon told her to run she ran and got hung on the bridge by whatever the heck her card was (it looked like a vampire). Now Paxton says, “I’m gonna go off by myself because the comic relief characters always do well alone.” and goes off to die by the fool who is very scary and he gets stuck in an elevator with the creep.

The last three go back to the house where they found the accursed cards to begin with and try to burn them but they are fireproof! It should be mentioned they try to get a woman who has survived The Astrologer before to help but she ends up not helping and dying so, anyway. Around now is when Paige goes through awful torment of being trapped in a box and having the magician threaten her with a saw and then actually and painfully saw her in half. I felt so awful for her and the final two heard her screams through the vents. They escape their demons by doing a Tarot reading for The Astrologer who bound herself to the cards in the first place and that stopped the madness.

On their way walking home, a car pulls up, they are frightened at first but then realize it is Paxton! He survived the elevator (someone walked in)! I know they let Paxton live for comedic effect but I just cannot let it slide that they allowed Paige to get sawed in half in that coffin when the timing could have worked out that she was saved too. They just glazed over the fact that she was screaming for her life as she saw (ha) the blade moving back and forth before it so viciously and undeservingly sawed her in half. She and Elise got unusually drawn out, painful, and cruel deaths. Ugh.

[hiddlesdeni]

The guy from Hellfire Shop

AU sci-fi - distopic - Eddie x oc

Prologue - Chapter 1

Hi guys! Here I am with the first chapter. Hope you like it. As always, this was an italian fic, so if you see some mistake, pls let me know. This story is also on AO3.

Chapter 1 - Just Paige

“What’s going on?” Paige wandered around the house, trying to get her father and brother’s attention. She saw them watching outside the window, alert. Behind the curtains, chaos reigned, and she knew it well. She was aware of the uprising; she knew it had been going on for a couple of days without success. But that day, things had taken a turn for the worse.

“Son,” her father said, addressing the guy who stood beside him at the window. His tone was calm, trying in every way to convey reassurance, to keep anyone in the house from getting scared. He had always been like that, her incredible father: brave, confident, steadfast, reasonable, even in the worst situations, even at that moment when outside, fire and flames engulfed the neighbors’ houses, and explosions filled the silence. A silence now shattered by the terrified screams of the townspeople.

“Pack a bag for your sister.” Paige witnessed that conversation and her brother’s immediate compliance, and she did so with terror in her eyes. She watched him quickly empty the kitchen cabinets and fill paper bags with sandwiches, bars, and various snacks. He put everything into a worn leather backpack, along with two water bottles.

“What… why? Why, Dad?” she asked, confused, as her father closed the curtains and grabbed her by the arms. Paige was clearly in shock: she was trembling, crying, and her father could even feel the rapid beats of her heart when he gently stroked her wrists, trying to calm her down.

“Because you won’t be part of this,” he said in a reassuring tone as her brother put the backpack on her shoulders. “I love you so much, Paige.” Then he hugged her tightly, almost suffocatingly. And it felt just like a goodbye. The mere realization made her legs shake. She wanted so badly to tell him that she loved him too, with a deep, visceral love that made her fear this situation would end in the worst possible way, but her father was quicker and literally pushed her into her older brother’s arms. “As we agreed,” he told him, and the boy nodded with a knowing, resigned expression. He then grabbed his sister’s hand, and they headed for their father’s study. With a simple touch, the bookshelf that covered the far wall opened, revealing the hidden door that led to the secret room, the one he and Paige used to play in when they were little.

“What are we doing? Why don't I know anything about this?” she asked, confused, unable to understand her family’s true intentions. What was the plan, why were they there? Her brother didn’t answer. “Where's Mom?” He looked at her in silence for a few seconds but still said nothing; instead, he pushed her inside the room and took her face in his hands.

“Listen to me, Paige,” he said in a low voice. “Right now, you need to do everything I tell you without any ifs or buts, do you understand?” Paige shook her head, her eyes swollen from the tears that had started the moment her father hugged her. “Do you understand?” And the girl could only nod, guided by her older brother’s worried and stern look. She saw him reach into her pockets. He took her smartphone and turned it off. With incredible speed, he removed the SIM card and snapped it in half, tossing both the phone and the broken SIM into the hidden room. Then he unbuckled the watch from his wrist and handed it to her trembling hands.

“I want you to stay in here and not come out for any reason in the world, okay? Keep your ears open, listen carefully, and only when you hear nothing, not even a single sound, count ten minutes on this watch,” he said firmly. “When ten minutes have passed, take your documents and burn them. Don’t take anything with you that could make you recognizable,” he continued as he gently nudged Paige backward into the room. “Nothing traceable, understood? Once you've burned your documents, get out of here and run. Run far away and don’t stop until you find shelter elsewhere, but you have to leave the city. Don’t tell anyone your full name, don’t trust anyone.”

“What... how can I? The androids control everything. There are sentinels outside the city!”

“I know, but they can’t track you if you’re not in their line of sight. Hide. You’ve always been good at hiding.”

“That was just a game we played when we were kids.” He gave her a sad smile and stroked her cheek.

“I know, but you always won. You can do this.” The girl placed her hand on her brother’s and sniffled.

“Where do I go?”

“There are ghost towns where you can resupply, then find a safe place and stay there, okay? I’ll find you.”

“When?”

“When everything is over.” Those words didn’t reassure her; in fact, they made her tremble even more. The thought of her family being there without her terrified her, the thought that they all had to make this decision for her to escape made it even worse. How could she make it on her own? She was the youngest, the least strong, the least courageous. Together with her brother, she was unbeatable, but alone, how could she possibly succeed in such a situation?

“Why can’t you come with me? Please, come with me.” The older brother took her face in his hands again and looked into her eyes.

"I would do it if I could, but with two of us, we're more easily detected. Alone, you're safer, trust me, please." Paige didn’t ask any more questions but hugged her brother almost in the same way their father had hugged her just a few minutes ago, and he returned the embrace. She was almost certain she heard him crying. He, who she had never seen him cry, was now there, holding her tightly, terrified of losing her. "I will find you, Paige. Even if it’s the last thing I do." Then he kissed her on the forehead and reluctantly, though with difficulty, released the hug, even though he would have preferred to stay there keeping her safe.

The last thing Paige saw of her brother were his tearful eyes as he closed the door to the secret room. She immediately pressed herself against it and sat down on the floor. She put her ear against the cold metal and waited to hear anything. It wasn’t long before the noises became relentless: doors being flung open, rapid footsteps, indistinct voices, and then the robotic voice of the androids, muffled by the door separating her from what was happening outside that room. Finally, the noise she feared most: the screams of her father and brother. Paige put a hand over her mouth to stifle the loud sobs, fighting the impulse to leave the room and go help them. But then there was silence, a total and terrifying silence. Shaking, she lifted the hand holding her brother’s watch and waited for those infernal ten minutes.

When the time came, she stood up and collected her documents, the broken SIM card, and the smartphone into an ashtray. She placed them on a bed of newspaper scraps and then used the lighter in the desk drawer to set it on fire. For a few good minutes, she watched her documents turn to ash, but then decided she needed to hurry. She began rummaging through the other drawers: she found batteries, bandages, an old map, her father’s leather diary, and a still-working flashlight. She stuffed everything into her backpack, unsure if these things would be useful. At that moment, though, her mind was a mess, she didn’t quite understand what was happening, and she was scared of what she would see once she opened the door.

She placed her hand on the doorknob and took a couple of deep breaths before opening it. The study was in disarray: some of the furniture was overturned, documents were scattered around the room, and the glass from the doors was shattered on the floor. Paige checked every room and realized they were all in the same condition. But the worst part was that there was no one around; there was no trace of her father or her brother.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from her green eyes, and in her mind, she had already imagined all possible scenarios: they could have been kidnapped, killed and hidden somewhere, or could they have escaped in time? She didn’t know, but she wanted to fully trust her brother. If he said he would find her, then she had no doubt he would.

She used the sleeves of her sweatshirt to wipe her eyes, then rushed outside through the front door. Chaos surrounded her. The neighbors' houses were devastated, others were engulfed in flames, but she only focused on running towards the street to leave the city.

And from that moment on, she never stopped.

-

When she opened her eyes, she did so with a start, but for a moment, she was again grateful for that sensation, because she realized she was still alive. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her ears, and her aching limbs. Above her was a nondescript, bare ceiling covered in small cracks. The room was lit by the flickering light of candles, but when she lifted her head, she noticed that it wasn't the same place where she had surely lost consciousness. She figured this out when she didn’t spot the rotting wooden door through which she had desperately called for help. Instead, there was a staircase going up, who knew where, and no windows. She struggled to sit up, sore from fatigue. She was on a large bed under two layers of blankets. The room smelled of smoke, which only worsened her headache. She massaged her temples and tried to ignore the growling in her stomach that had been pleading for food for hours.

She looked around more carefully. She spotted posters of old bands on the walls, amplifiers on the floor, guitars, some even hung on the walls. On the nightstand next to the bed, on top of questionable magazines and yellowed comics, she recognized all the items from her backpack, neatly arranged one next to the other. Even her water bottle was there, the only one of the two she had managed to recover after a bad fall during the journey. When she reached out to grab it, she realized it was full. She quickly unscrewed the cap and drank down all the water, almost letting a tear of relief escape from how thirsty she was.

It was when she screwed the cap back on the now-empty bottle that footsteps coming from the staircase put her on alert. And then she saw him, the guy who had opened the door for her before she fainted. At first, he seemed distracted, then surprised when he realized Paige was awake. They stared at each other in silence for a long time, and the girl took the opportunity to study him better now that the light allowed it: he wore a pair of ripped jeans at the knees, slightly worn white shoes, a chain hanging from his belt, and his shirt tucked into his jeans with the store's name and logo on it, all framed by a leather jacket and a denim vest. His hair was really long, wavy, and dark, not what she had imagined. She saw him look around and then slowly remove his vest and jacket, letting them fall onto a nearby armchair, revealing some tattoos she hadn’t noticed before.

"For a moment, I thought you needed a true love's kiss, or some bullshit like that," he said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and put one to his lips before lighting it. Now she understood the strong smell.

"Where am I?" was the first thing that came to mind to ask, while the guy crossed the bed to reach a desk on the other side of the room. She saw him fiddling with a small chest as he emptied his pockets of some plastic bags. She couldn’t make out the contents but it didn’t seem that important at the moment.

"Welcome to Hellfire, sweetheart! The devil's abode, as everyone calls it," he said, letting himself fall into a chair, casually putting his legs up on the table and closing his eyes while his cigarette dangled from his lips.

Paige looked around again and shrugged.

"Oh yes, you’re probably wondering about that. We were upstairs before, now we’re downstairs, in my bunker. I hope you don’t mind that I dragged you here; I tried to wake you up, but... damn, for a moment I thought you were dead. Anyway, I thought it was better here than upstairs. We’re safe, and the sentinels won’t find us." He exhaled a puff of smoke from his mouth. Paige tried to figure out who she was dealing with, but the more she looked at him, the more she thought he was anything but a threat. She had so many questions to ask him, but her growling stomach broke the silence. Paige blushed, and the guy let out an amused smirk as he got up from the chair, leaving the cigarette in the ashtray. She watched him open some cabinets and pull out two cans, a bowl, and a spoon.

"I’m a terrible host, forgive me, I haven’t had guests in..." He paused thoughtfully, nodding occasionally. "Forever." He emptied the first can into the bowl, and not satisfied, did the same with the other, mixing it with the spoon. "Unfortunately, all I have is canned food; I hope I don’t get a bad review on Trip Advisor." After disposing of the empty cans, he took the bowl, the cigarette which he brought back to his lips, and then approached her to finally offer her the first meal she had had in a long time. At that moment, Paige saw him more like a deity who had just saved her life, but she was so hungry she didn’t even think to thank him. She grabbed the bowl with the spoon and began to eat ravenously. Her "savior" watched her as if she were a hungry puppy abandoned by the side of the road.

"Okay, you were really hungry," he concluded, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Your growling stomach suggested that." But the girl could barely hear him, so focused was she on filling her stomach after... she didn’t even know how long it had been since she last ate. And even though the canned stuff was terrible, Paige would have eaten the sole of a shoe.

"How long have I slept?" The guy got up from the bed, feeling out of place since they didn’t even know each other. After all, Paige was a stranger in his bed, who had ended up there by chance. When she had knocked on the door, he certainly hadn’t thought it was the sentinels. They wouldn’t waste time knocking; if they wanted something, they’d just break the door down. But Paige could very well have been a spy trying to lure him out. Her desperate crying had made him reconsider. He wondered why a spy would sob so much and decided to open the door just to make sure she wasn’t faking.

He was only certain everything was okay when he saw her slumped on his steps. Her physical condition was the cherry on top.

"About eight hours." Paige stopped eating and looked up at him in silence, astonished that she had collapsed for so long. "Yeah, I had to use the couch upstairs to sleep, thank you very much!"

"I’m sorry..." He looked at her with one eyebrow raised, confused by her sudden and heartfelt apology. She seemed genuinely conflicted, and he couldn’t understand why. "But I was so tired and..."

"Hey, I was joking." He said, leaning against the wall while smoking the cigarette that was almost finished. "It’s not the first time I’ve slept on that couch."

"You saved me from certain death," she said, and then there was silence, a long silence in which she felt she had already said enough about her situation. Her brother had warned her not to divulge too much information about herself. The other guy didn’t know what to say either; in fact, he wondered what the hell she was doing out there and why she was in such a state... but mostly, he wondered why he had never seen her before.

"What’s your name?" Paige stopped eating again and hesitated for a moment.

"Paige."

"Just Paige?"

"Just Paige." She couldn’t say more; it was a rule.

"Alright, ‘just Paige’." He stubbed out the cigarette against the ashtray on the table, causing the candle flame to wobble dangerously as he blew out the last puff of smoke. "I’m Eddie Munson. I have other nicknames, but I’ll spare you those." He slumped back into the chair.

"Why are you hiding here?" she asked as she went back to eating. Eddie tilted his head slightly.

"Why am I hiding here? I think the better question is 'why were you out there during the sentinels' patrol?' I mean, what the hell were you thinking? No one does that, staying exposed for so long... I mean, have you lost your mind?" His tone was almost angry, but also surprised and bewildered. Then he composed himself when he noticed Paige’s even more confused and scared look. He just shook his head and leaned back in the chair again. "Anyway, I’ve been living here for three and a half years. I used to live in the trailer park, but it wasn’t safe with the sentinels around. My uncle and I had to move here because of the bunker. The others made do as best they could."

"The others? What others?" Suddenly, the canned meal she was eating wasn’t as interesting as that conversation. What the hell was he talking about? Others? A trailer park? "You’re... more than one?"

“Well, a town doesn’t just have one inhabitant, does it?” Paige suddenly got up from the bed, making Eddie jump. She grabbed the old map she had brought with her and spread it out on the mattress, starting to trace the route she had walked alone with the tip of her finger. She located Princeton on the map, where she had lived all her life, then traced north along US-19 N until her finger stopped on Hawkins. Her map had a peculiarity: her father had been a former police inspector and was informed about many things since four years ago when the androids had taken over politically and dictatorially. One of these things was which towns had become completely uninhabited, ghost towns with no living soul. That’s why her father had marked out every ghost town he knew of with a stroke of pen on the map: Hawkins was definitely on the list, as the black ink covered the town’s name.

Her father had been wrong. Hawkins had survived; its inhabitants were still there and alive and well. But how was that possible? Eddie had mentioned three and a half years. The androids’ control had started only four years ago, yet they had escaped their detection. She looked around again and realized: they had given up everything to survive, there was no internet connection, no electricity, or anything the sentries would detect. There was a television, but Paige saw it was unplugged. The light bulbs were in place, but Eddie used candles. Some of them had melted down to the point where only the wick was left protruding from the shelf. Then she noticed a stock of new candles on the desk. The electric guitars around her were covered in dust, as were the amplifiers, except for one and the acoustic guitar lying in a worn-out old case.

That’s why they hadn’t been detected... and the windows barred with wooden planks? Eddie and the inhabitants were recluses to survive.

What happened is quite simple to explain but equally hard to understand or accept. A tech genius with a strange name Paige struggled to remember had opened a lab. There, he had gathered other brilliant minds, and together they built what was supposed to be the revolution in human history. Not that androids hadn’t been created before, mind you, but these were something more. They could do anything: from simple household tasks to running an entire company with astounding efficiency. They were so intelligent, so similar to humans, that crossing them on the street, it wouldn’t be easy to recognize them as androids.

This happened five years ago, when androids were only distributed in large cities. Then they began to develop human-like emotions... the most terrifying ones. About a year later, androids became self-aware and started desiring dominion. Any disobedience meant death, so much so that any human who got in their way didn’t make it to the next day. Even their creators were killed by their own inventions, especially when they realized they could no longer contain them. They started managing themselves and then created the sentinels, androids that looked nothing like humans but were tasked with expanding the dominion. They were set loose to scour smaller towns to take control, or in large cities, taking on the role of normal police officers who had been forced to change jobs or remain unemployed. The sentinels could detect any electrical field nearby, and through internet connections, a cellphone, GPS, even TVs, they could track the presence of a human.

Paige had witnessed all this from Princeton. She had seen the city being brought to its knees by ruthless, self-aware machines. It felt somewhat like watching a live-action remake of Age of Ultron. But the problem was that the Avengers didn’t exist; no one was coming to save them. And in four years she had proof of that. Especially now that she was in a stranger’s house, trying to escape the uprising the citizens had started and which the androids were suppressing.

"I didn’t think that... anyone here had survived," Paige said quietly as she sank back down, now aware, sitting on the bed. There was a moment of silence in which Eddie started observing all the items he had pulled one by one from her backpack when she was still unconscious. At first, he had thought she was just another girl from Hawkins whom he simply hadn’t noticed, even though there were very few left. A crazy person who just wanted to get out of there, because he knew how hard it was to live in that situation, especially when you were alone in the world.

But then those words convinced him that she knew absolutely nothing about Hawkins. Who the hell was Paige? Where did she come from?

"Listen, sweetheart... you don’t seem like a threat to me, but I still don’t trust you," Eddie said. Paige looked up at him and stayed silent. "I’ve been avoiding this crap for four years; I don’t want to get into trouble. So tell me what your intentions are, or you can go back where you came from." Those words alarmed her, and even though she tried not to show it, her expression betrayed her, as did her throat which bobbed up and down when she swallowed, or her fingers which trembled as she folded her map.

"I just want... I just need to stay hidden," Eddie started to speak, but Paige hadn’t finished. "I can’t explain anything to you. I don’t fully trust you either. But I swear I don’t want to cause trouble. I just need... a place to stay. I can go somewhere else if you don’t want me here, to someone else. So you and your uncle..." Eddie started laughing. It was a bitter laugh, accompanied by a shake of the head, and Paige was left confused.

"I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s absolutely nothing around here. It would take a while before you reached the others." Eddie reached for the table and took another cigarette from the pack. "I’ve lived in Hawkins all my life, and I’m not well-regarded. Imagine what they’d say about you, someone who isn’t even from here." And in silence, he lit the cigarette.

"So what should I do?"

"You can stay if you promise not to cause trouble and to follow my rules."

"And your uncle?" Eddie removed the cigarette from his lips and let out a puff of smoke. His expression had completely changed after that question.

"Don’t worry about him. He went out last month to get more supplies... he hasn’t come back. For all I know, he’s probably dead." Paige swallowed and lowered her gaze in sadness.

"You didn’t go looking for him?"

"To meet the same fate? No thanks." He got up from the chair, dragging it noisily across the floor, then approached her to grab the now-empty water bottle. "Finish eating, I’m going to refill this for you. Then, I’ll explain how things work around here." He said no more and disappeared up the staircase leading above.

[livefastdriveyoung]

Something about George Russell makes me believe he secretly watches the trashiest reality television. I'm talking Summer House (which I don't watch but have seen one clip of some girl named Paige absolutely tearing into some man about making his friend a flower boy; which, she had some really great points but also probably has never won a card game in her life). I'm talking Real Housewives, I'm talking Love Island.

I don't know if it is just because I assume everyone Posh is a closet watcher, or because the way he is personality wise, but like I could really see it.

[darkmoonkestrel]

daily kestrel 73:

rough day. can't afford the house we sorta wanted, not majorly heartbroken, but maybe the house we liked is back on the table if they don't ghost us again. was dealing with that house stuff while in baby room all day, and then got a call on my lunch break about Peggy's radiology appointment - glad they can get us in super quick but really not looking forward to adding another thing to do in the next few weeks

I was sorta venting to Amber about all of it as I was getting ready to leave work and she reminded me that tomorrow afternoon I will be going to see my friends and celebrate them getting engaged and I should give myself a break about the house stuff

so some good things about today:

I saw some children at the library who were greatly enjoying taking advantage of their library cards, their mom's bag and their arms were full of books when they left

One of my coworkers will be filing for child support (which she has long deserved) and I am encouraging her 100%

Peyton was taking a bath (with a bottle of mead) when I got home and even though it was a bath borne of stress, he looked damn sexy

Paige made tacos, we watched more Below Deck, I made spiked hot cocoa after my own shower, and tomorrow is Friday

[westbay34]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: 100% authentic Fendi men’s watch! MWOTS.

[heliads]

Hey, I love your writing! I was wondering if you could do this request based on the song favorite crime by Olivia Rodrigo where it’s like that song is Derek Hale saying all that stuff about Kate Argent (but just a bit more angsty) for his younger self falling for her, and now it’s the reader comforting and loving him because of it. Does that make sense? Thank you!

i adore this song so much omg

masterlist

Derek Hale is staring out a photograph. It’s old, so old he can’t remember the exact date it was taken but just enough to picture how he felt at the precise moment the shutter snapped. Derek didn’t even know he had this photo anymore until he was rifling through storage, trying to find something of considerably more importance. Now, he’s just looking at it, all other tasks forgotten when faced with the crippling necessity of this one, this reminder of who he was, how stupid he was when it came to one girl.

The photograph stares at him accusingly from where it’s clutched in his fingers. Two figures smile back at him, practically giddy on how happy they thought they were. There’s a fold deep enough in the paper that it cuts right across the eyes of the girl, although Derek doesn’t need this photograph to remember how Kate Argent’s face looks. He can picture it plain as day, how harsh every line and angle seemed the night she killed his entire family.

He still doesn’t know how to feel about the whole thing. Kate had been older than him then, and she had known exactly what she was doing to the teenage version of Derek unlucky enough to fall into her clutches. Some part of him had known all along that something was wrong, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Know that I loved you so bad

I let you treat me like that

I was your willing accomplice, honey

Besides, he had still wanted to impress her. Derek can remember nights spent out, just the two of them pretending there was a world in which they could skip town and find a life outside of their families. Younger Derek had thought it was such a dramatic reveal when he finally told Kate that he was a werewolf, although, looking back on it now, she had probably known for a very long time.

Back then, though, he fancied them to be a bit of a Romeo and Juliet, him from a werewolf family and her from a clan of hunters. He had really thought they could make it out alive, or do something to fix the irreparable damage between the Argents and every other facet of the supernatural world.

Derek has lost count of all the plans they’d made, all the things he did to keep his family off his back while he was out visiting Kate. He had covered up her family’s exploits further into the Hale side of the woods, pretended he had no idea that the Argents kept getting eerily specific information on the movements of Derek’s family. The only other option was to accept that Kate had betrayed him, and he would rather have died than do that.

In the end, Derek had no choice. Despite the amount of blood he had on his hands trying to keep their future safe, Kate had played her cards exactly as she pleased. Derek had watched his house burn, heard the tortured screams of his family, and known. He knew it was her; perhaps he’d known it all along that she would use him to kill the werewolves in Beacon Hills. There was no perfect Shakespearean ending, not when one of them had been plotting all along.

And I watched as you fled the scene

Doe-eyed as you buried me

One heart broke, four hands bloody

Still, seeing this old photograph plunges him back into the thick of things. He really had believed in her, hadn’t he? It was bizarre to think that he could go from mourning Paige to ever loving again, yet he had when Kate came around. Then again, Derek’s not sure that what he had with Kate Argent was ever truly love. It was some sort of fierce dependency in which he was terrified to be alone and she promised him things he knew would never come true. To a teenage boy who couldn’t take any more losses, it was everything, and then it wasn’t.

Those things I did

Just so I could call you mine

The things you did

Well, I hope I was your favorite crime

The sharp tang of blood in the air snaps Derek out of his haze, and he belatedly realizes that he crumpled the photograph so hard in his hands that one of the edges sliced through his skin and gave him a paper cut. It’s already healing, the skin knitting shut before his very eyes. Derek crosses the room on unsteady feet to drop the blood-spattered photograph in a trash can.

Even with the image out of his hands, though, Derek can’t shake the image of Kate Argent from his eyes. Her pose in the picture had been strange, like she was sinking her claws into younger Derek, and by dragging him into the photo it would cement her hold on him. Some part of him hates her for convincing him that he was nothing without her, and hates himself even more for not seeing through it.

You used me as an alibi

I crossed my heart as you crossed the line

And I defended you to all my friends

Derek manages to find what he was looking for, but he’s still feeling this agonizing pressure to do something, anything, to clear up the guilt in his head, so he heads back downstairs. A girl in the living room looks up at him from where she’s half hidden among tall stacks of papers. Y/N L/N, a very good friend of Derek’s and possibly the only person he actually trusts, has been over here to help him research the latest threat to the town.

She glances up at him, brow furrowed. “You were up in the attic for a while. Everything alright?”

Her gaze flickers to the way Derek walks, and he feels like a museum specimen, tension plainly visible in his stiffened joints. He opens his mouth to say that he’s fine, but the words don’t come out. Somehow, he’s never been able to lie to her.

“No, not right now. I think I’m going to head over to the Hale House.”

Derek says this before he realizes that’s what he wants to do. On second thought, it feels right, like he has to purge all thoughts of Kate Argent from his head by replacing it with memories of his family.

Y/N nods. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Again, Derek pauses, and again, his mouth makes the decision before his brain. “Only if you don’t mind the trip.”

She smiles at him, standing up from her perch amongst the paper printouts and ancient booklets. “Oh, I’d never give up an opportunity to skip out on research time. Are we taking your car or mine?”

“Mine,” Derek decides, and grabs the keys from the nearby countertop. “Shouldn’t take that long.”

He doesn’t actually know if this is true or not, but it feels safer to say. Y/N, to her credit, doesn’t ask stupid questions like if he’s out of his mind (which he is) or why they’re going to the burned out shell of his family home (for no other reason than trying to make him feel better), and he appreciates it. She’s technically one of the Scott-Stiles pack, although she thankfully lacks their tendency to interrogate him on everything under the sun. Sometimes, Derek just wants to be quiet, and she gets it.

They do engage in quiet chatter on the drive over, which calms Derek’s nerves just enough so that he survives the trip. He parks the car on the outskirts of the Beacon Hills Preserve, opting for a longer walk to let the memories come back in full weight, and they set off through the forest.

They’re halfway through fall right now, the leaves stripped bare from the trees and leaving nothing but slender branches rising up to the sky. The Hale House is visible from a distance away, slivers of it present through the gaps in the underbrush.

At last, Derek and Y/N are before the house, and shit, this was a bad idea, because he’s been hit by everything he’s been trying to pretend he doesn’t feel for a very long time. The shell of the place is still intact, even if it looks like a strong wind could blow the whole thing over. The wood panel shutters have fallen off or been so caked in ash that he wouldn’t be able to tell what color they are without his accursed memories, half the windows are broken into dust, and the whole back of the place is gone.

He hates that this is all he has left. Sure, he’s moved to a new apartment, and he still has Peter and Cora, but Derek led a life here once, a life that is utterly gone. No one in this town except him knows how the walls used to shake when he and his friends were blaring music so loudly it could have gotten him a warrant, or how the window third from the left marked his room. There is nothing left but the memories, and those are receding just as quickly as Derek’s grasp on foreign capitals or what on earth Kate Argent could have done to make him trust her so readily.

All the things I did

Just so I could call you mine

The things you did

Well, I hope I was your favorite crime

A hand touches his shoulder, and Derek is so far gone in the past that he’s almost startled when he looks over to see Y/N and not Kate standing there beside him. Her hand on his arm is different, though. Kate used to touch him like her fingers were hooks to dig into his flesh and keep him there beside her, but Y/N’s hands are like an offer that he doesn’t necessarily have to take. There is always the possibility of a no, here. Derek never had that before.

Y/N arches a brow, not needing to ask the question. Derek just grimaces.

“It’s nothing, just some memories I thought I forgot a while back.”

Y/N shakes her head softly. “If I thought this was nothing, I wouldn’t have come.”

The truth in her voice shakes him. For the first time, Derek looks up from the past and realizes that he’s got something good right here next to him. Really good, actually, that’s how he’d put it. When did he start depending on Y/N to get him through all of this? He’s not sure, but he’s damn grateful for it.

Derek raises his arm slowly to take Y/N’s hand, interlocking their fingers as they walk. He doesn’t say anything about it, somehow still foolishly clinging to that one part of himself that really wants to pretend he’s some sort of cold, stony-hearted fighter who’d rather tear someone’s throat out than show any emotion.

Still, he rather likes being able to have Y/N so close. He can feel the pattern of her heartbeat through her fingers, and it keeps him grounded, reminding him there’s still someone here for him. Derek pushes the door open, and it swings on broken hinges at a far jauntier angle than his father would have ever allowed.

Derek isn’t sure what he’s looking for in this place. Closure, maybe, some sign rising out of the ashy darkness that he’s doing alright and needs to move on. As he slowly progresses through the long-destroyed rooms, though, Derek realizes that he’s not going to find that here. There are no glaringly obvious signs, there never have been. What he has to do is look for himself, think for himself. Kate never gave him enough room to do that, but Derek needs it.

It's bittersweet to think about the damage that we do

'Cause I was going down, but I was doing it with you

Yeah, everything we broke, and all the trouble that we made

But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face

At some point he realizes he’s had enough and steps outside again. Enough light made it through the burned out slats and crumbling bricks that the Hale House was no longer dark, but the late afternoon sun still blinds Derek for a moment or so before his eyes adjust.

Derek comes to a stop, breathing in the crisp forest air. It’s tinged with the faint scent of aged smoke, just like everything about the place, but a breeze is diving through the area around him, and it’s gone, forced off to the very edge of his consciousness.

Oh, look what we became

Derek lets his eyes flicker closed, and he breathes in and out slowly. He’s still holding Y/N’s hand, having been unable to let it go for fear of falling into some part of himself Derek had hoped would be long gone but isn’t. He chooses at this moment to let go, though. He can’t hate himself for Kate, not forever. What she did wasn’t his fault, no matter how big of a role he played in trying to pretend otherwise.

Yes, he would have killed to protect their secret a little longer. Yes, maybe it was some parts of himself that he killed to keep them alive. That doesn’t make him a monster, no more than his claws and fangs. A younger version of Derek had broken every good thing in his life just to make Kate Argent his, but Derek doesn’t have to force everything away at arm’s length anymore. He is the boy who had no idea what he was getting himself into, and he is the young man who is better now. They are both him, both Derek Hale, and it’s okay.

All the things I did

Just so I could call you mine

All the things you did

Well, I hope I was your favorite crime

Derek opens his eyes, and the first thing he sees is Y/N. She’s smiling at him, and he’s far more than okay now, standing in the rubble of his fallen home and letting himself rebuild.

“I think I love you.”

The Derek from earlier, even the Derek from this morning, would not have let those words go so easily. He’s afraid of what love can do, or what he would do to keep love around. This, though, Derek trusts this. Y/N can break his heart, or she can make it better than it ever was. He intends on seeing it through.

Derek has time to see a parade of emotions flash through Y/N’s eyes, but the strongest one of all is pure happiness. “I think I love you too.”

He doesn’t remember kissing her until after the fact, but he’s glad that he did. Derek smiles against her lips, and he releases his heart again. No more locks, no more chains. For once, he is free. It is a wonderful feeling.

'Cause baby, you were mine

teen wolf tag list: @thatfangirl42, @rogueanschel, @lovesanimals0000, @rafecameronswhore, @bellabadacadabra

[mjfass]

Ok bestie, I got last minute tickets to Double or Nothing but I haven't been able to watch any of the shows the past few months because I'm in the middle of moving. I'm in need of a basic run down of who's who and what's what to make sure I don't fuck up and piss off anyone there. Thanks 💕

That’s so good, honey! Hope you have a great time. This is the card:

Pre show: Hookhausen vs Tony Nese and Mark Sterling

Hangman vs CM Punk for the AEW World Championship

Serena Deeb vs Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women’s World Championship

Britt Baker vs Ruby Soho (Owen Hart tournament final)

Death Triangle vs House of Black

Adam Cole vs Samoa Joe (Owen Hart tournament final)

Young Bucks vs Hardy Boyz

Jurassic Express vs Team Taz vs Swerve and Keith Lee

Jericho Appreciation Society vs BCC and Eddie, Santana and Ortiz

Anna Jay vs Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship

Wardlow vs MJF (? Still pending).

Darby Allin vs Kyle O’Reilly

Frankie Kazarian, Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti vs Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page, and Paige VanZant

[reyescarlos]

someone to you || a tarlos fic

read on ao3 || word count: 6.1k

Summary:

Ever since the start of the semester, Carlos has been harboring a crush on the cute guy in his weekly lecture. When the boy begins appearing at the coffee shop Carlos works at, attending weekly open mic nights, Carlos finds himself falling a little bit more with each song. After one slightly awkward introduction, Carlos goes from being unknown to seen. With a friendship fully in place, Carlos' feelings only grow but he slowly starts to see that maybe, just maybe, he isn't alone in thinking they could be something more.

story mood board by: @sunshinestrand​ literally just reposting this story because Paige surprised me and blessed me with this graphic and it needs to be seen! thank you so much, my love! I loved writing this fic for you. now we’ve come full circle 💜💕

I’ll make the moon shine just for your view I’ll make the starlight circle the room And if you feel like night is falling I wanna be the one you’re calling

“If you don’t say something to him one of these days, I just might lose my mind,” Michelle says with a sigh as she approaches the counter where Carlos is standing.

He chews absentmindedly on his bottom lip as he looks over at TK. Everything to the guy is so effortless. Somehow he makes sitting down in a coffee shop look like an ad as he holds up his mug aloft and laughs at something one of his friends says.

Carlos would give anything to have that kind of access to TK, to be able to share in jokes and to simply know him. Carlos is fairly certain TK doesn’t even know they’re in the same lecture every Tuesday. But even in a hall filled with students, Carlos is always able to spot him, constantly dialed into his frequency like his favorite radio station.

Realizing that he’s been blatantly staring, Carlos clears his throat and looks away, mindlessly pouring sugar into a dispenser.

“It’s just a stupid crush. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Michelle rolls her eyes. “Yeah, well the way I see you gawk at him every week he shows up here says otherwise.”

Carlos can’t help it. In their class TK almost never speaks but each time he makes it out to an open mic, Carlos gets treated to TK quite literally under a spotlight, up on stage singing and playing his guitar or the keyboard.

“He’s really good. I like his sound is all.”

“Is that a euphemism?” Michelle teases, bumping her hip against Carlos’ as she passes by him. “I think it’s safe to say you like his everything.”

He jokingly glares at her before laughing. She’s definitely not wrong about that. Carlos has been crushing quietly since he first saw TK in their lecture at the start of term a little over two months ago. TK has been coming to open mic nights here at the cafe for the last month. Each week he performs, Carlos feels himself fall a little harder, swept up in his beautiful voice. Whether TK performs original music or a cover of something, he always brings the house down.

Michelle glances at her watch. “Oh, I have to start in just a few. Are you okay up here?”

“Yeah, I can tackle the counter. You go ahead.”

She pats his arm once with a smile before moving from behind the counter to head towards the stage to double check the microphones and setup for the evening’s session. He turns his focus back on refilling the dispensers in front of him. A shadow casts suddenly over the countertop, darkening his work area. Carlos looks up, his hand jerking forward in surprise to see TK smiling at him. Sugar spills against the surface, Carlos quickly tipping the bag upright to stem the flow.

“Shoot, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” TK says, grabbing a tissue and trying to clean up the grains of sugar.

Carlos grabs a dry rag from under the counter and wipes it away.

“No worries. It’s cool. Uh, can I get anything for you?” he asks, looking back at TK, doing his best to ignore the way his heart is hammering. This isn’t how he pictured his first substantial interaction with TK to go but he saves face as best he can.

“Could I trouble you for a scone?” TK says, jutting at the case with his thumb.

Carlos holds his breath and nods, clearing his throat, picking up the tongs and a plate. “Yeah, sure thing.”

TK smiles and Carlos can feel something inside his chest melt at the sight. Before he can dwell on it or potentially embarrass himself by randomly saying something to prolong the moment, he quickly puts the pastry on the dish. TK already has his card out, ready to pay for it.

Carlos ignores the slight tremble in his hands as he takes it, mentally reprimanding himself for getting so worked up over his brief and truly mundane conversation with TK.

“Here you go,” he says, handing back TK’s card and pushing the plate toward him.

TK thanks him and Carlos thinks that’s the end of their interaction until TK looks up again and eyes him thoughtfully.

“I feel like I know you.”

The phrasing makes his breath catch in his throat but he quickly realizes what TK actually means.

“We have a class together, don’t we?”

“Astronomy,” Carlos supplies.

TK snaps his fingers and points at him. “Right, yes. That’s it. Man, that was really bugging me. I knew I recognized you from somewhere other than here. It’s good to see you…”

“Carlos.”

“Carlos,” he repeats as if weighing the syllables on his tongue. “I’m TK. It’s nice to meet you officially.”

“Yeah, you too.”

The house lights dim and both TK and Carlos snap their heads towards the stage where Michelle approaches the microphone.

“Hello and welcome to open mic night here at Déjà Brew,” she greets. There’s a warm round of applause and eager cheering from the crowd gathered.

“It’s always so great seeing so many familiar faces and new ones alike. There are still slots available. Our sign up sheet will remain here just offstage for anyone that would like to perform,” she says, gesturing to her left. “Without further ado, please help me welcome one of our favorite regulars to the stage…Mr. TK Strand. Take it away, sir,” she muses.

TK turns back to Carlos and looks as if he wants to say something but the crowd is already giving him a warm, welcoming applause. He quickly takes his scone and hurries back to his table where one of his friends is holding out his guitar for him.

Carlos lets out a breath as TK approaches the stage and settles on the stool positioned right in the center of it. A few people whoop and cheer for him once again now that he’s situated. TK laughs coyly but the microphone sends his chuckle throughout the room.

“Thank you for that lovely intro, Michelle. Very flattering; I love being a favorite but really, who doesn’t?” he jokes, earning a few laughs. “I was debating what to play tonight. I’ve been working on some new stuff but finally settled on just going for one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists. This is The Girl by City and Colour, bastardized by me.”

There are a few more laughs, TK personable as ever that he makes each person feel like they’re old friends. Anyone who has ever heard him play knows there’s no way he won’t knock this cover out of the park.

From the first string TK plucks, the room is completely his. Carlos watches his fingers move expertly along the fretboard. It’s a real sight to see and as Carlos looks away from TK’s hands to his face, he can see just how much fun he’s having with the playful opening melody.

TK gets close to the mic and starts to sing and instantly Carlos leans closer, arms folded on the counter as he watches TK in action. There isn’t a single person speaking quietly to a friend or distracted by their phone. All eyes are glued to the musician on stage. Carlos could listen to TK play all day and never grow tired of the sound. It’s remarkable how his voice floats and cloaks the room, each note nestling in his chest like seeds.

The audience erupts into applause as TK’s final note rings out. He smiles to himself before looking out at the crowd.

“Thank you so much,” he says into the mic before slipping off his guitar and hopping down from the low stage.

Carlos can’t help but to smile as people TK passes give him thumbs up or murmur compliments as he returns to the table with his friends.

Michelle gets back on stage and introduces the next person on the sign up sheet.

The next performer is great but Carlos knows he’s more than a little biased in saying that TK will be the best person to hit the stage tonight.

He chances a glance over at TK and sees that TK is looking at him as he breaks off a piece of his scone. Carlos quickly looks away and focuses on other tasks throughout the rest of his shift, ones that don’t include keeping tabs on the comings and goings of a certain musician.

The night comes to a close, marking yet another successful open mic night. Given that it’s Friday, most of the crowd dissipated as the evening progressed to perhaps party or hang out elsewhere. TK and his friends opted to stay for the entire session, as they almost always do, showing support to each performer who graced the stage.

As TK and his group begin to file out for the night, Carlos waves them off as they say their thanks for another fun night at the shop. Carlos turns his back for a moment to replenish silverware when he hears the quick rap of knuckles on the counter. He turns and is greeted to TK’s bright and open smile up close for the second time this evening.

“So, I’ll see you on Tuesday, right?” he says, hitching the strap of his guitar case up his shoulder.

Brought up short at TK essentially singling him out just then, Carlos nods slowly before he finds his voice again.

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll uh, I’ll see you next week.”

“Cool. Have a good night, Carlos,” TK replies simply with the smile that hasn’t left his face. He knocks on the counter once as if to punctuate his sentence and slinks away to join his friends just outside of the shop.

“Looks like you made it onto someone’s radar tonight,” Michelle sing-songs, settling in beside him.

Carlos stares out the window at TK with his friends, one guy nudging his arm as they begin to walk away. Once they’re out of view, Carlos turns back to look at her.

“He’s just being nice.”

“Denial runs deep in you, doesn’t it?” she teases, shaking her head. “Come on, let’s try and finish up so you can have some of the night to yourself, loverboy.”

~*~*~

On Tuesday Carlos makes sure he shows up early for his lecture, standing outside of the hall doors waiting for the group before him to clear out. Today has the potential to be so different from all the other lectures that have come before it. This Tuesday in particular marks the first time TK will truly know of his existence in the hall too.

He tries to settle his nerves by reading news on his phone but he’s too anxious to focus on the words for long. He gives up with a sigh, tucking his phone into his pocket when TK comes bounding toward him with a bemused smile.

“I was hoping you’d come early, too. We didn’t really get a chance to talk much on Friday,” TK says, completely blowing past any formal greeting. Carlos is taken aback by that candor.

“Yeah, I guess not. You were great, by the way. I mean, you always are but…I really liked your performance. I’ve pretty much been listening to the song on a loop since Friday so thanks for the rec.”

Carlos’ heart nosedives as he realizes what he’s just disclosed so openly. But TK doesn’t appear to think it an odd statement. His face lights up, genuinely pleased.

“Oh yeah? That’s awesome.”

“You’ve got great taste in music though, I guess that really shouldn’t be surprising.”

TK laughs. “I’d be majoring in the wrong field if I didn’t, that’s for sure.”

Before Carlos can reply, the doors to the lecture hall open, students filing out into the hallway. Carlos thinks this kills off the chance of speaking to TK still but the guy stays close to him once the doors are clear enough for them to enter too.

“Hey, do you mind if I sit with you today?” TK asks.

Carlos quickly shakes his head. “Uh, no. Not at all.”

He heads up the flight of stairs in the hall, taking up his usual seat. The one beside him is typically home for his backpack but today it’s TK’s frame that settles into the chair.

Carlos takes covert glances at him from the corner of his eye. It was truly so much easier to look at him when he was across the hall these last few weeks. This close up, it’s much harder to sneak and get an open look. But just sitting beside him makes Carlos so acutely aware of TK’s movements.

As the lecture starts, he zones out in favor of taking notice each time TK toys with the strings on his hoodie or his leg bounces restlessly.

The hour and a half passes in a blur and Carlos is surprised to look down and realize he actually still managed to take a decent amount of notes. Their professor reminds them of an upcoming assignment to which TK groans and quickly writes something down in his book, underlining it twice.

“I totally spaced on that.”

“Was that meant to be an astronomy pun?” Carlos cringes at himself but TK laughs heartedly.

“That was a good one.” He closes his notebook and puts it back into his bag, Carlos following suit and packing up his things as well. “But seriously, I completely forgot the deadline was coming up so quickly.”

“I could…if you need someone to go through it with you or anything, I could help,” he offers.

“Carlos, that’s so sweet of you but you don’t have to do that. I got myself into this mess. I’ll figure something out. But, I mean, maybe I could get your number just in case I hit a snag or something?”

The quick turnaround from feeling rejected to elated is jarring but Carlos smiles and says, “Definitely, yeah.”

TK flashes a smile back and takes his phone out, unlocking it before surrendering it to Carlos to create a new contact. When Carlos is done, he hands the phone back to TK who looks at the newest addition to his phone.

“Cool.” TK sends him a quick text. “Just in case you need to get in touch with me for any reason before then, now you can.”

That phrasing sounds like a challenge, as if TK is now tipping the ball into his court.

“I’ll keep that in mind ,” he says.

~*~*~

Texting with TK becomes such a part of Carlos’ daily routine now. It’s to the point where he comes to expect a message from TK each time his phone buzzes as they’ve had a pretty consistent chain going all week. TK’s most recent text, however, wasn’t a Spotify link to a song he thought Carlos might like but rather an SOS to help him complete his astronomy assignment. The message was followed with TK’s building and room number and the entire walk across campus is spent with Carlos’ heart racing until he’s knocking at TK’s door.

“Thank you,” TK immediately says as he lets Carlos in. “I almost didn’t text you to come over but I’m pretty sure I’ve been doing this wrong.”

Carlos looks around the room as he steps in, clearly picking up on which side is TK’s. There are guitar picks and sheet music on one of the desks, two guitar cases leaning against the wall by the foot of one bed. Above the bed itself is a stylish black and white map of Manhattan. Carlos smiles to himself seeing these traces of TK in the space.

“You can grab a seat,” TK says, gesturing to the desk chair. TK sits at the foot of the bed, a small gap of space separating them.

The air feels charged but Carlos is certain that’s all in his head. Being alone in TK’s room is worlds away from sitting beside him during their lectures.

“Okay, let’s see what you have so far,” Carlos says, determined to focus on the task at hand.

They work for about two hours, getting distracted with cracking jokes every now and then and talking about random things as they eventually end up on the floor with papers and charts spread out between them. It’s a mess but Carlos looks over all that they have and draws one very clear conclusion.

“We did it. You’re officially done.”

TK throws his hands up in victory and laughs, flopping down to rest his back on the floor and stare up at the ceiling.

“Holy shit. Thank you. Again. You’re a lifesaver; I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” He turns his head to look at Carlos who merely shrugs.

But Carlos can’t deny how good it feels to be of help and save TK from the stress he’s been feeling with this assignment hanging over his head. TK is looking at him as if he’s a saint or something. Carlos can feel the back of his neck warming up and busies himself with gathering the sheets of paper around them to avoid looking at TK for even a moment longer before that blush spreads to his face.

“What are friends for, right?” he says, only daring to look back at TK now that he’s collected himself.

TK eyes him thoughtfully and Carlos holds his breaths as he waits to see what TK will have to say.

“Lucky me for having you as mine.”

~*~*~

TK has been frequenting the shop more often than his usual Friday nights. Now Carlos has come to expect him here and there but on Sundays mostly where the crowd is far less dense and the evenings are slowgoing enough that Carlos can actually linger behind the counter and chat with him. It’s become a common occurrence for TK to plant himself at one of the elevated seats and work on assignments. More often than not, the books get neglected for long stretches of time. It’s a comfortable routine, one that Carlos has been finding himself growing dependent on.

TK helps him clean up for the night, offering to sweep while Carlos closes out the registers. They don’t speak much as they focus on their tasks but there’s a comfort in just having TK there, to look up from counting the till to see him moving about the room. This coffee shop really belongs to them in their own ways and now they’ve managed to find yet another way to make it special.

Carlos gets back to his closing duties as TK volunteers to put the trash out back. While he’s gone, Carlos makes a quick to-go cup of green tea, TK’s usual, as thanks. TK comes back in and heads over to wash his hands in the bathroom.

When he returns, he joins Carlos at the counter who pushes the cup forward.

“For your hard work tonight,” Carlos says.

TK smirks and picks it up, bringing the cup to his mouth. “If you keep this up, you may never get rid of me.”

“Ah, so you’re on to me then.” The words slip from his lips so easily but TK doesn’t seem put off. Instead the boy smiles into his cup as he takes a sip.

Relieved, Carlos takes his store keys out of his bag and heads for the door. TK steps out as he flips off the switch, the shop plunged in darkness as he locks back.

“Thanks again for sticking around and helping me,” he says as they begin to head back to campus. “You really didn’t have to do any of that.”

“Are you kidding me? It’s the least I could do. You completely saved my ass last week and besides, it was just…nice. I like hanging out with you.”

Carlos bites the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking out into a ridiculous grin. He feels like he’s in middle school again with just how much he’s been crushing on TK but he can’t help it. His stomach always seems to do cartwheels when TK is around, especially when he makes statements like this.

They walk alongside each other in comfortable silence for a time. Carlos does his best not to keep stealing glances at TK but it’s easier said than done. A few times he’s caught TK looking at him which throws him off guard but it’s certainly not unwelcome.

“How old were you when you started playing?” he asks as they near campus.

“I always sort of grew up around the piano. My mom played and she had one in the apartment so I’d sit with her sometimes and she taught me a few things here and there. But I didn’t start taking it really seriously until I was about seven, maybe eight. It was our thing, you know? My parents…things with them went south and she was busy a lot with work. But whenever we did get to check in with each other, we’d find ourselves on the piano bench together. I loved that time with her, even though it became harder and harder to come by the older I got.”

Carlos smiles a bit sadly. But, he thinks, it says a lot that TK is able to be so candid with him about his upbringing. It’s pretty personal insight and yet TK extends it to him so freely. He supposes TK may just be an open guy in general but it still means a lot to be trusted in this manner.

“Wow, that took a turn, I’m sorry,” TK laughs, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“No, it’s okay, really. I don’t mind at all.” TK nods at this and continues after a beat.

“I got my first guitar on my tenth birthday from my dad. I think he was trying to speak our language in his own way and I really appreciated it. I took to that pretty well and became a bit obsessed, clearly. Totally thought I was going to be a kid rockstar,” he jokes. “Anyway, music’s always been there for as long as I can remember.”

“That’s really cool, TK. Most people go on a long journey to find the thing that’s right for them but your passion found you early on.”

Carlos’ building comes into view and each step towards it fills him with utter dread. They’ve already managed to stretch this night but greedily, it’s still not enough for him.

As they come to a stop outside the doors to his building, TK stares at him and for a wild moment, Carlos thinks TK might kiss him. TK does lean in but it’s to give a hug, one in which Carlos gladly reciprocates.

“It was great getting to hang out with you tonight. I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” Carlos replies, subtly drawing in a breath and breathing TK in as they embrace.

TK begins to pull away after a moment and places a soft kiss on Carlos’ cheek.

Carlos is sure his face flushes and he’s all too grateful for the cover of night to disguise it. They both avoid each other’s gaze for a second before laughing a bit. TK stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Carlos tries to remember how to form a sentence.

“Goodnight, TK,” he says softly.

TK searches his eyes for a moment, almost pensively before smiling faintly.

“Goodnight, Carlos. Sweet dreams.”

~*~*~

Carlos has not been able to shake his walk home with TK. Each time he thinks about it, he can practically feel TK’s lips on his cheek. It was such a modest kiss, a quick peck that probably didn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things and yet, it’s all he can think about.

On Tuesday they sat beside each other, same as always and have continued chatting regularly through texts. Neither has made even the smallest hint or mention of what happened Sunday night. It makes Carlos wonder if he’s been blowing this out of proportion or if TK is just as clueless on what comes next as he is.

The latter seems almost comical. TK is perhaps the smoothest, most confident guy he knows. If he wanted to progress things further, he would have already.

Carlos does his best not to stare now at TK’s table. Friday night has rolled around once again and while Carlos is excited to see TK perform, it’s hard to see him and not feel transported back to Sunday night. The phantom sensation of that chaste kiss has kept him up every night this week.

“You okay?” Michelle asks, pulling Carlos from his thoughts.

Carlos blinks twice and nods. “Yeah, just tired I guess.” His eyes flicker to where TK is seated.

Something about him seems off tonight. Normally he’d be the liveliest one at the table but TK seems withdrawn.

Michelle makes a noncommittal hum but says nothing else on the matter and Carlos is grateful for it. She excuses herself to start tonight’s event.

He busies himself with customers who approach the counter as the evening kicks off, the backdrop of performers truly background noise as he works.

Michelle calls TK to the stage when it’s his turn and immediately Carlos zeroes in on his table. TK’s friend pats him on the back before letting out a whoop as he settles up on stage before the keyboard.

“Hey, guys. This one’s been playing on my mind a lot these days. Figured I should do something with it and free it somehow. So, yeah. This is Bloodstream by Stateless.”

TK clears his throat and it’s strange but for the first time, the young man actually looks and sounds nervous. He looks over at Carlos who smiles encouragingly. TK blinks twice and looks down at the keys, brows deepened before playing.

The melody he plays is eerie but beautiful, Carlos’ interest all the more piqued as TK’s fingers strike deftly. The song is haunting, TK’s voice much more gravelly than usual and it’s all so captivating that Carlos holds his breath as he listens.

I think I might’ve inhaled you I could feel you behind my eyes

“Gee, wonder who this one is for,” Michelle says, coming up beside him at the counter for a glass of water.

Carlos can’t even offer a response as he continues to watch TK. The guy’s eyes are closed as he croons into the mic, his shoulders bouncing as he strikes the right notes.

He feels goosebumps watching TK perform and can’t help but to hope there’s some validity in what Michelle is not so subtly hinting at.

TK tinkers around on the keyboard for the last few notes, his eyes landing on Carlos for the briefest of seconds as the audience claps for him. He thanks them and rises from his seat, hopping off the stage and returning to his table— but not without another look at Carlos before he sits once more with his friends.

Carlos feels shaken, his heart ricocheting like a pinball.

He hopes so fiercely that TK’s performance was a declaration of some kind but the night ends for the first time since they’ve befriended each other with an awkward smile and wave from a distance as TK and his friends leave.

Carlos isn’t sure what to make of any of this.

~*~*~

The strange energy doesn’t last long. The very next day TK shoots him a random humorous text and Carlos is glad for the ice breaker as it allows them to get back on track. They easily fall into their usual routine and as the week progresses, the night at the shop soon seems like a lifetime away.

TK invites Carlos to his dorm to hang out Wednesday afternoon and Carlos is all too happy to accept, taking advantage of his free time to head over to TK’s building.

From what he can discern, TK’s roommate is the next best thing to living alone. The guy is never in the room, leaving Carlos with uninterrupted time to just talk and be around TK any time he visits.

TK sits at the foot of the bed with his guitar, plucking out a melody for a song he’s been working on and hoping to debut at open mic. He’s got a pencil trapped between his teeth as he plays, stopping occasionally to jot down a note in the open book beside him. It’s fascinating to watch his process from his spot in the middle of TK’s bed, seeing how he develops an idea from a mere thought to an actual song, to something tangible.

“I hope this one goes over well on Friday,” TK mutters, moreso to himself.

“I know it will. Everyone loves you there and your songs are always a huge hit. This won’t be any different.”

TK smiles warmly at his sentiment. “Thanks. It’s always a bit nerve wracking to perform something new and original but it’s pretty exciting, too.”

Carlos shakes his head and laughs, resting his back against the wall.

“I could never do what you do.”

TK finger picks without even looking at the fret as he eyes Carlos quizzically.

“What? Play or perform?”

“Both. I love music but I don’t have the talent for learning. And performing? Ha, there’s no way you’d ever catch me in front of a crowd. But every week you get up there and knock it out of the park. It’s incredible though.”

TK’s mouth twists to the side slightly before he sets his guitar back into its case on the ground and turns to face Carlos again.

“Lay down,” TK says unexpectedly. Carlos is sure his expression must be bewildered because TK laughs and rolls his eyes. “I’m not about to steal your virtue. Just…settle back for a second.”

Carlos does as he’s instructed and stretches out on TK’s bed completely, his head coming to rest on the guy’s pillow. TK’s scent is everywhere and with the young man smiling over him now as he sits just to the left of him on the edge of the small bed, it’s enough to make his head spin and heart stop. He stares at him as TK speaks.

“Playing is a lot easier than you might think. It’s all about proper placement and timing.” He sets his fingertips against Carlos’ ribcage like they’re keys on a piano.

Carlos searches his face as TK mimics playing and hums a melody. It sounds familiar to Carlos but he can’t place it; it’s something classical, he knows. But his main focus is on TK’s light touches, each press of his fingertips like ripples on the surface of water. His long fingers skate up and down Carlos’ side as TK continues to play as if he’s on a Steinway.

It’s a marvel watching his expression. It’s all make-believe but Carlos has no doubt TK can see it all as clear as day in his mind’s eyes, the ivory and black keys. Though his gaze is fixed on TK’s face, the young man doesn’t lose his own focus and doesn’t catch Carlos’ eye until the final note.

“See? Nothing to it,” TK says, eyes shining with amusement.

It isn’t a conscious decision, that much Carlos knows as he sits up slowly and inches closely to TK, his hand cupping the nape of his neck. He doesn’t typically make bold moves but the draw he feels to TK is simply too much to ignore now.

TK falls silent and stares at him but doesn’t move away, his lips parting. After a beat, he draws nearer as well. Their noses touch, Carlos nuzzling gently before bringing his mouth to TK’s. That first press sends a spark shooting down his spine but Carlos doesn’t hurry or balk at the sensation. He relishes in the slight shiver that runs through TK, the small intake of breath, happy to see that he feels this thrill too. His fingers card gently at the back of TK’s hair, curling around the strands as he continues to kiss him.

TK’s hands encircle his waist, pulling him closer and Carlos is pliant as ever, melding against the man’s frame. The kiss grows gradually, moving from tentative to assured, both guys shedding away any hesitancy and owning the moment.

It’s easy for Carlos to get swept away in kissing TK. His lips are proving themselves to be skilled at more than just offering beautiful smiles.

When TK breaks first, his eyes are still closed and Carlos can’t help but to stare, smiling softly at him when he finally reopens them.

“That’s what playing feels like,” TK says quietly. “An electric rush.”

Carlos’ face burns but TK doesn’t tease him for it. Instead he leans in and kisses Carlos’ cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose. This draws out a laugh from Carlos, a note so carefree and unguarded he’s almost surprised it’s ripped from him.

He smiles shyly and rests his forehead against TK’s, settling down and simply breathing him in. His hand finds its way once more to the nape of TK’s neck, skimming his fingertips lightly against his scalp. TK seems to appreciate the subtle touch, his eyes fluttering briefly. It’s almost hard for Carlos to wrap his mind around the fact that he’s capable of any real effect on TK and yet, the proof is laid out right before him.

All these weeks of getting to know him as more than just the cute guy in a shared class or the talented performer who frequents open mic nights. All these weeks of truly getting to know him and falling even more, they haven’t been one-sided.

“I see why you like performing so much now. I could get used to this feeling.”

TK laughs and places another kiss on his lips. It takes everything in Carlos not to get too carried away but it’s certainly tempting. TK, a musician through and through, knows what to do with his hands. Placement and timing, as he said before.

He’s able to draw out sounds from Carlos like any of his instruments, a sigh, a moan, a whimper. Carlos’ lips feel swollen by the time they break apart for good, his head in a fog.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks now,” TK says.

“Yeah?”

TK rolls his eyes jokingly. “You know, I don’t usually go around serenading guys at open mic nights, right?”

“So, that really was for me then?”

“You thought I was singing that about some other guy? Seriously?”

Carlos shrugs a shoulder, looking down until TK lifts his chin gently. He stares into his blue-green eyes and finds the confidence to keep going.

“It felt too good to be true that you may have been dedicating it to me. I thought—I mean, I’ve been hoping but was too scared to ask. In case you aren’t aware, you’re a very attractive and ridiculously talented guy, TK. You could have your pick of anyone.”

“Just like you could. Easily, Carlos. You’re such a catch. I’ve spent weeks hoping you liked me back. I was out of my mind nervous up there. It seemed like a great idea beforehand but actually being on stage and seeing you watching me? I almost chickened out but I knew my friends wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I did. And, honestly? I wanted to get my feelings for you out there somehow. Music is always my fallback so, seemed like the best bet.”

Carlos shakes his head and draws in a deep breath, letting it out in a gust.

“It was beautiful, TK. Absolutely beautiful. No one has ever done anything like that for me.”

TK gives him a small smile, looking down and playing with Carlos’ hand. “Since we met, I’ve just wanted to matter to you. Is that weird to say?” he asks, pulling his gaze upward.

Carlos shakes his head. “No, not at all. I actually liked you before we even met,” Carlos admits. “You’ve always been someone to me, TK. Never doubt that because I get the feeling that you always will be.”

TK searches his eyes, relief flooding his features before he leans in and kisses him again. Carlos serves it right back, pulling TK against him as he sinks back against the man’s bed. It’s light, it’s playful with soft laughter and even softer kisses. It’s safe and comfortable to hand this vulnerable side over and trust it will be protected.

All in all, Carlos finds, it’s simply natural to be this way, to fall for this beautiful boy and his beautiful music that makes him feel like a work of art to TK in his own right.

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Right Of Passage

Masterlist

Paige crashes and interview and your hormones are kicking in!

Warnings: Fluff,Swearing, Light Smut

A/n: so here is another Fluffy chapter for my 'from house to home' series enjoy the family fluff! and tiny bit of smut. hope you enjoy xxxxx

Taglist: @two-unbeatable-beaters​ @thatgirly81​ @angelofthorr  @iloveyouyen​

You stood backstage with Paige watching on the huge tv in front of you as Henry sat on the famous white sofa talking with Ellen. You had to admit you were excited to be here apart from visiting on set occasionally and going to awards you never really did any of this public stuff. It was how both you and Henry wanted it but it was nice to get out and be involved, Paige was excited to she loved watching her daddy on telly but a lot of his films weren't age appropriate...you’d thought about letting her watch man of steel soon but you didn't want her to get upset seeing her dad in trouble or kissing another lady she hasn’t been old enough to understand yet... She also never understood how he got in the telly she was at the age when she was beginning to understand that he was filmed and then the videos were put on the tv. She jumped up and swerved trying to peek around the curtain to see what was going on.

"Paige! No come on back here, you can see daddy after sweety just watch daddy on the telly here." She pouted but relented standing next to you huffing.

She didn't understand why she couldn't go and cuddle her daddy he was right there! And true to form when your little girl was told she cant do something she really really wanted to. You sighed watching her cross her arms and pout.

"Poppet I'm sorry but this is live...So its being put on the telly now as they film it" she scoffed at you a proper three year old teenager!

"But but why? He is my daddy! Mine and and I can cuddle my daddy when I want to! Daddy said sooo!" She finished with a pout and little stomp completely and utterly miffed.

You laughed a little, ah so that’s what it was she was jealous of everyone oogling her father. You could definitely understand that the other guest was a women you didn't recognize, an actress in a new sitcom that apparently didn't know Henry was a married man with a family! She mustn't have known not with how she had been acting during the interview. She was; in your opinion to familiar with your husband you could see he was uncomfortable as she placed her hand on his leg letting it linger to long, he had cleared his throat and shifted sliding his thigh from underneath her palm quickly and flicked his eyes to her in warning.

You gave her daggers through the screen wanting to go out there, he was your man he wore your ring and everything!. The desire to run out there and climb all over him, grind in his lap and make it absolutely clear that piece of ass was yours. You faltered and blush at the thought, where had that come from? Well you knew where it had come from you were pregnant and horny and had been without your man for twelve weeks! You had yet to find the time to jump him since being here.

Ellen must have noticed the little exchange between her guests as she spoke up to Henry moving the conversation on to the next topic, one which Henry had not warned you about prior.

"And we just heard that you've had a surprise this week?" You snapped your head back to the screen it couldn't be? How the fuck? did-did he tell them? You watched as Henry grinned leaning forward nodding in excitement.He definitely did

"Yes I did. My beautiful wife bless her" he made a point to emphasize the word wife to the other woman giving her a look making her blink surprised but he continued professionally like the second long pause had been for drama. The urge to stick your tongue out a the woman and go 'ner ner na ner ner' was strong...But you didn't want Paige to tell her father so kept your tongue behind your teeth.

"She found out she was pregnant with our second child whilst I was here filming and instead of phoning me up to just tell me she arranged for her, Paige;our first born and Kal to come over and deliver the good news in person!" The audience awed as the photo Amy had taken of all four of you was put up on the screen.

You couldn't help the warmth in your chest as you watched him turn gazing softly at the photo forgetting the world around him as the huge screen showed his growing family.

The other guest visibly flinched face dropping for a second then plastered on a false smile. She hadn't known so you could let it slide...Sort of.

"Wow really? All the way from England?...That’s Paige there? Shes so big the last photo I saw was what a year ago? her brithday?" Ellen was grinning to the screen then looked back at him.

"Yes it was shes so big now and smart I find it hard to keep up sometimes shes a three-nager a sassy little moo, coming up to her fourth birthday, she starts school soon..." Ellen nodded you'd been here with Henry before promoting man of steel just after Paige was born Ellen had got a quick sneaky cuddle but nothing was really broadcast just a quick photo you'd snapped of Henry half asleep in the hospital with her all swaddled up rocking her.

"Wow school? Oh right England they start at four or five right?" He nodded enthusiastically he could sit here and gush over his family all day but had to reel it in.

"Yeah she's in preschool now and starts primary school in September...But they were both due to come over in a few weeks but brought the trip forward. Y/n knew how much I wanted another child so wanted to make it special...She had everything planned her and Paige in superwoman and supergirl t shirts surprised me onset then handed me a huge card with a note from Paige and a blown up photo of the ultrasound inside there was also a tiny superboy baby grow inside...It was a shock but I am really happy she would go so far for me...It meant a lot." Ellen chuckled nodding.

"Superboy huh?" He grinned

"Yes where we had been trying before I left she was past the first trimester when she went for her first scan and found out the gender we are having a boy this time! And I cannot wait!" Ellen glanced over to where you knew you were hidden and smirked nodding to the twitching curtain. Twitching curtain?

You froze and looked around .Where the fuck was Paige? Oh no! You looked over and saw her crouched by the curtain her tiny head peeking round, you raced over past a chuckling tech hand and tried scooping her up before she was noticed. It was took late.

"Speaking of not being able to wait, I think your kid over there can't wait to have you all to herself again." She ended with a chuckle you swore under your breath hand just curled around her pink leopard print tunic top. Paige looked back grabbing your hand and said quite loudly.

"Look Mummy people! Hi people!" And waved some waved back making her beam up at you.You heard everyone chuckle Ellen and Henry's being the loudest due to the microphone's. If you had been watching the screens you’d have notices a silent conversation between Henry and Ellen using only their eyes and with a subtle nod from Henry Ellen spoke to Paige.

"Yeah people?..Lots of people, you want to come here and sit with your dad for a bit?" Paige gasped and stood up now revealing herself completely to the stage twisting her hands in her tunic and nodded vigorously her puffy curly ponytail bobbing about, she turned giving you a look to see if its okay. You sighed nodding smoothing her hair.

"Behave and use your manners and we will do anything you want today okay?" she nodded then walked slowly unsure as the entrance to the stage was from behind the sofa and she'd have to walk around the front near the big cameras, Henry looked behind him seeing she was nervous and quickly got up running around to grab her.

She moved towards him quickly holding her arms out to her daddy making the audience coo at her then she half climbed half lifted up on his hip as he turned moving her to sit comfortably on his lap pulling at her top straightening it out. You moved back covering your face. What the fuck have you done? Your daughter that is to smart for her own good and a sassy little madam was out on live tv with her equally smart and cheeky father...God help you all.

You quickly moved to the tv again to watch the impending disaster you moved placing a hand on your bump, a habit you had when pregnant with Paige and it seems to have stuck, it was a calming motion. You giggled as Henry moved her when a knee was in the wrong place quickly tucking her legs into a more tolerable  position on his lap quietly whispering in her ear probably echoing your warning of being good.

She nodded and looked around at everyone waving cutely to some of the audience. She held onto Henry tightly resting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her rubbing her leg reassuringly.

"So cute! And she really looks like you...Hi sweety! You feel better now, I've kept him for a long time huh?" She nodded unsure at first then took a deep breath.

"S'ok Miss Ellen, I can share with you." She beamed down at the little girl.

"Oh that’s so sweet, tell me are you excited to be in America with your dad?" She smiled nodding at Ellen going a little shy but surprisingly still spoke.

"Yeah! Its hot and and fun, we got to play at the pool! and we got to see daddy again!" Ellen smiled at her nodding.

"You miss your dad when hes away huh?" She nodded sadly

"Yes but he is a spy so he has to go!" You froze oh no. Ellen laughed it off glancing to Henry.

"A spy huh?" Paige nodded to her

"Yep! Last time he was away he was at spy school with his friends daddy is very good at it he is really sneaky! he sneaks me sweets when Mummy says no!....Don’t tell her...Mummy said he's too sneaky!" Ellen laughed out loud as Henry sighed rolling his eyes.

"Aha and what else does your Mom say?" You held your breath for a second praying your little girl would be kind.

"She says that he is cheeky! And she misses Daddy but its okay a'cos me and Kal cheer her up. And and she loves him...Like alot a gazillion times a day." You blinked back tears as your sweet little girl melted your heart Henry moved forward kissing her hair  she shifted on his lap.

"And I miss my girls to when I'm away poppet" she smiled giving a quiet 'I know' and attached herself to him again rubbing her face in his soft button down shirt.

Ellen smiled it was very rare to get any insight to the Cavill's. Henry guarded your privacy fiercely there was barely any photos around of his family to get an interview like this was...well it was a first no one had seen pictures of the little girl since her last birthday.

"So what do you think of your dad being Superman?" Paige sighed and tilted away from her dad he raised an eyebrow at her she mimicked him then turned to Ellen shaking her head.

"He isn't really superman...He is just playing pretend with Batman a'cos batman knows the real superman!..And superman is to busy...Its something to do with work....I think." Everyone roared up at that but Paige blinked not finding it funny she looked up to her dad frowning he just gave a cheeky grin and shook his head at her telling her not to worry.

"So hes not superman are you sure?" Paige eyed her father squinting and nodded.

"Sure" making everyone laugh again Ellen smirked trying to hold in her own chuckles.

"What makes you so sure?" You held your breath, Henry did to .Oh fuck.

"Daddy can't get Kal to take a bath!" You and Henry both sighed relaxing. Thank fuck for that.

"He can't get Kal to take a bath really?" She nodded.

"Aha if daddy was superman he could catch him a'cos superman is really fast so kal can't run away! And he could pick him up out of the bath without falling in." Ellen started laughing and Henry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly going a little red.

"You fall in the tub with the dog once and can never live it down!"

"So your dad isn't superman?" She shook her head at Ellen. No.

"Oh okay okay... So Henry when you gonna tell her? wait until the film comes out?" She directed that to a chuckling Henry who nodded.

"She isn't old enough...We thought it might scare her seeing me in some of the fight scenes, maybe when it comes out, she will be older and hopefully understand more...She doesn't understand just yet as you can tell I'm a spy for the moment." Ellen nodded smiling Paige turned her head at him.

"Hey....Are you not a spy no more daddy? does that mean I can have a boyfreind?" you covered your mouth. Holy shit she didn't! Henry gaped like a fish looking at her flushing a very bright red as everyone seemed to find the little girl hilarious.

Ellen managed to nip in speaking to Paige before Henry could do any damage control.

"Wait you have a boyfriend?" Paige smiled rocking slowly back and forth holding the tips of her shoes tilting her head cheeks rosy completely ignoring her father stuttering behind her

"Daddy said that spy rules says spies little girls can't have one until they twenty one so I had to keep it a secret!" Ellen had to look down trying to compose herself for a second.

"So... You hid it from your dad huh?" Paige grinned nodding then looked to her dad who could do nothing but laugh wiping away a tear from how much it had tickled and embarrassed him.

"I ca-hahant believe you just said that nugget...hohahaho! oh god..Oh Paige I do love you poppet...No she doesn't have a boyfriend. She has a best friend who is a boy. A boy. Friend not boyfriend when I found out well I thought yeah"  he broke off into more chuckles.

"Yes..Spy rule huh?...Protective dad mode?..." he nodded to the host still trying to cover his chuckles wiping away tears of laughter finding this completely amusing.

"So Paige what else have you done since being here?" Paige turned from her dad then to Ellen and looked up thinking then smiled brightly.

"Oh oh! I know I found a new favite' food we ate this shell thingy!"

"Shell thing?" Henry now calmed down from his embarrassment spoke up answering Ellen becoming a toddler interpreter.

"Taco's she tried her first taco yesterday" Ellen smiled wide.

"Wow how many did you eat?" Paige sat up holding out two fingers"Wow really two whole tacos!" She smiled at the blonde woman visibly relaxing.

"Yeah but Daddy had more...And Mummy had more then Daddy but s'ok cos shes gotta feed the baby"

"Ah I see...Your gonna have a baby brother soon?" She squealed alittle to close to the microphone making people wince

"YES! HE IS THE SIZE OF AN ARTICHOKE-daddy stop pokeing meee!" You chuckled as she turned pouting batting at Henry's discretely hidden hand, poised between himself and her side that had been poking at her tummy.

"Indoor voice sweety, you were shouting again." She blinked and shrugged at 'and?!' him getting a stern warning look that sent shivers down your spine, Fuck you were gagging for it.. Especially after seeing the woman drool over him, you thanked your lucky stars that Paige hadn't said something.

Paige sighed her face dropping for a second from Henry's scolding then brightened up.

"Yeah my baby brother is is dis' big" she cupped her hands around the size of an artichoke then stretched them out wide.

"But my mummy's tummy is 'dis big, she has a big belly! And and its a boy to! I'm getting a baby brother just like Daddy promised!" Ellen smiled at her.

"Really he promised?" Paige moved kneeling up on Henry's lap 'accidentally' kicking the women beside her who grunted. And just like that with no prompting Paige turned to her.

"Oh sorry misses Lady I didn't mean to kick you den" you and Henry being her parents both knew that was a lie just by the sickeningly sweet tone.You had spoke to soon Paige was not one to let things slide and it would seem that Paige hadn't liked the other woman touching her father either.

The audience awed falling for it...it seems that she had inherited more then just her looks from her father as she 'apologized' to the woman who smiled and waved her off saying its fine.

Paige tuned away quickly to look at Ellen again bouncing holding onto Henry's thumb.

"Yes daddy promised! And I helped to he said they couldn't have a baby if I didn't stay in my own room-mmm! Hummyyyh!" Your heart jumped in your chest as Henry quickly moved holding his palm over your daughters mouth smiling chucking nervously turning bright red.

Everyone laughed casually as he did Paige grabbed at her dads hand tugging with all her might to try and remove it. Ellen then turned to the camera.

"And I'm afraid that’s all we have time for until next time and remember be kind to one another" you breathed a sigh of relief that hadn't been as bad as you thought ,as soon as the on air light went off Henry smiled thankfully to her as she chuckled shaking her head.

You made your move quickly moving out on stage ready to swoop up your baby. Paige quickly struggled and freed her face from Henry's grip whining. She didn't whine for long as he through her up in the air then swooped down and back up throwing her higher and catching her as she laughed and squealed as he did it again this time when he caught her he began tickling her then stood placing her on his hip rocking her slowly patting her bottom trying to get her to sleep, as always she curled up to him resting her head on his shoulder. He turned to you then Ellen.

"I’m so sorry since being here she has been a bit clingy,  he hasn't been able to go anywhere...I had her right there then she was just gone!" The woman laughed it off looking to the now sleepy child nodding off on Henry's shoulder who was sushing her.You was thankful in that moment that she could nod off just about anywhere

."Its fine. She was very well behaved and polite it was a pleasure speaking to her, everyone barely hears about you both! Its a treat to see her I would have her back in a heartbeat, I can't believe how big she is the last time I saw her she was still so tiny!" You laughed remembering

"She was what two weeks?" Henry nodded at you. You had stayed a little too long when he was promoting man of steel and had to have Paige here in America as you wasn't aloud to fly back home.

"Congratulations on the new baby Henry was saying in the break that your due in November?" You smiled nodding placing a hand on the bump.

"Yes I really can't wait...Henry didn't mention he was going to announce it tho...Did you babe?" He chuckled nervously licking his lips.

"S-sorry I just got excited and I did say I was going to show you off when you were pregnant this time" you hummed moving around to check Paige who had fallen asleep, the heat has really been getting to her here it was like having a sleepy baby all over again."She asleep?" You nodded to him and he finally stopped rocking and patting.

"Its fine Henry I was more concerned with what this little monkey had to say~ but I'm proud she was very well behaved considering...But I think we are going to have one hell of a day after her nap." He frowned at you

"What makes you say that?" You grinned sheepishly."When Ellen called her out I told her if she was polite and behaved then we would do what she wanted for the rest of the day... Mac donalds and swimming I think has been the request for the last few days." Ellen laughed along with Henry then leaned in giving you each a hug.

"Well we will let you go then enjoy your day and come back soon! I'd love to have you over!" You both smiled thanking her before leaving the studio.

"Well that wasn't as bad as I thought" Henry broke the silence in the car as he drove towards the hotel. You moved taking a peek at Paige asleep in her car seat sprawled out.

"Yes... I panicked when she was first out there dreading what was going to come out of her mouth." Henry nodded taking a deep breath.

"Your telling me, I did give her a quick warning beforehand that if she played up she was going straight to bed when we got back" you smiled at him nodding and leaned back silence washed over you again.

"Your not angry with me letting her out there like that are you?" You snapped your gaze to him.

"No I'm not, I don't want it to be regular tho. But I know you want to show her off a little now that she is older" He nodded then winked.

"It was mainly to get that other actress to back off, can't even remember her name but she was...To touchy." You grunted

"I noticed...So did Paige... You know she kicked her on purpose right?" He nodded to you checking the wobbed out child in the rear view mirror again.

"Yes I did jealous little nugget, I couldn't even blame her for it how bad is that? I suppose you didn't like her all over me either?" You huffed crossing your arms looking out your passenger side window.

"No I wanted to-" you flushed closing your mouth quickly he stopped at a traffic light and turned to you and poked you making you roll your eyes. He got worried thinking maybe he had done something so he continued with a few more pokes you turned to face him wriggling his eyebrows you flushed looking down shyly. His heart soared he loved that after all this time he still had it! he could turn you into a blushing schoolgirl with a look.

"Ooo you wanted to what Mrs Cavill? Claim me in front of everyone?" You squeezed your legs together as the thoughts of exactly what you wanted to do crossed your mind. images of being railed, sweaty bodies in twined grinding and rutting. you moaned quietly wringing your hands in your top then wiped your damp palms on it.

"Come on babe you can tell me?  You know I love it when you get all growly and territorial what did you want to do to show her I'm yours?~" he was right, he loved when you got all aggressive, when you took charge and fucked him! you frowned he wanted that? right well he got it! fuck it you growled turning to him before he could turn away you grasped his chin tightly tugging him forward leaning over the center arm rest.

"I'll tell you what you little shit! I wanted to come out there and dry hump the fuck outta you whilst waving your wedding ring in her stupid fucking squirrel like little face! There you happy! I wanted to fuck you till you pass out! To show her and the world exactly who you fucking belong to! And and make you beg for me to make you cum in your stupid scrumptious little trousers on live tv! " You panted going red as you ground out the words growling them out across his lips.

He blinked bright red unable to speak for all of the mans teasing, he wasn't really prepared for your outburst. You gave a chaste kiss and pulled back facing forward and stared at the traffic lights and watched them change, but Henry was frozen eyes blown wide still trying to process your filthy words as they went straight to his cock making him twitch, he took a deep breath debating weather of not it was his morals would allow him to fuck you in the car with Paige sleeping in the back....probanly not. You turned to him and awkwardly motioned to the light wanting him to move.

"Henry... The,Err the lights green.." he shook his head pulling out of his daydream of pinning you face first into you windscreen and fucking the living daylights out of you and looked back to the road moving again.

"So...Then? Hormones kicking in?..." you flushed at him sinking into your seat nodding. He smirked licking his lips remembering just how your hormones had effected you last time, the nights of endless fucking you were insatiable he had a hell of a job keeping up.

"Don't worry baby I will sort something out....If I remember last time you liked the suit I'm sure I can arrange-" you turned scowling at him your blush now spreading to your chest.

"Don’t you dare arrange anything with anyone! I mean it you little shit! Not a soul I can't have you just wandering off dressed as fucking superman! We will be caught!" He hummed giving you a cheeky side glance and placed his hand on your thigh squeezing and rubbing up and down making you tense again.

The bonus with American cars is they were mostly automatic gearboxes so he could keep his huge palm on you for the whole ride if he wanted.

"Oh love you really are wound tight huh?~ Well Zack knows about your love of the suit after last time~ okay okay! I wont Jesus...How about I see if we can have a day to ourselves I will see if Ben can look after Paige; I doubt she will act up for batman...no? No your right bad idea. Okay then we book her in for the day at the kiddy club in the hotel, could sign her up for swimming lessons and a day with the other kids in the crech? They do all sorts she would have fun" You smiled at him nodding liking that idea better.

"Then we can spend the day in bed....Or in the trailer I have a morning shoot the day after tomorrow then one at night....So I'm in the suit....Alone all day and the night shoot is rain I think so it doesn't matter if I get a little disheveled. And this one will be easier for us to slide back into place so we wont have a repeat of last time!" You blushed remebering last time. Zack may or may not have caught Henry going to town balls deep in the trailer as you screamed 'Kal' over an over role playing being pounded by the man of steel.It was only when Zack burst in Henry realized he had forgot to lock it. You cringed giving him a look.

"And I promise to lock the door this time...I could put a hat on the handle to... Or something so people know" you sighed rolling your eyes, he would do as he pleased...But if you got to fuck Superman again you weren't going to complain.

It was then that Paige stirred you heard her gasp and cry happily.

"Mac donalds! Mummy Daddy I want a- Can I have a Mac donalds please?" You smiled trust her to wake up when you were near a drive thru, the nugget could smell Mc nuggets a mile away. You tilted your head looking over to the drive thru that was across from you ,it was fairly empty a small que now that the lunch rush was over, you smiled nodded to Henry who had been eagerly waiting for permission.

Paige squealed happily as the car turned into the lot Henry turned his head to the rear view mirror as he waited in the que.

"What do you want baby girl? Nuggets?" She shook her head making him frown.

"But you always get nuggets nugget." She rolled her eyes shaking her head huffing at him.

"No daddy not today! I was good in the telly... And I’m a big girl...A big sister now so I think its time daddy." Time? He blinked not understanding you giggled as the que inched forward already guessing what she was going to say, a right of passage all children dreamed of.

"Daddy...I want a big mac... wiv lots of gherkins and a strawberry milkshake" you chuckled louder as Henry turned to face her through the center console.

"Poppet?... Here in America the big macs are really really big I don't think you could eat-" you placed a hand on his arm twisting him back around. He gave you a look of confusion.

"Get her the big mac...I promised anything she wanted...Lets get her the big mac and thank god she didn't ask for a joyride in the batmobile...Which was definitely a possibility...Get her some nuggets to incase she doesn't like it, I'm not sure if shes going to like the sauce. I'll have a large big mac extra gherkins extra cheese and strawberry milkshake"

"And a flurry!" You smiled

"Yes and two Mc flurry's" he smiled laughing

"Three big macs and Mc flurry's coming right up" as he pulled up and ordered.

Once you had your order you decided to park up and eat at one of the tables outside the restaurant. You got out your phone filming as Henry pulled out her meal placing it before her.

"Here we go poppet! One big girl big mac!" You laughed as she stared eyes wide like he had presented her with the holy grail. She shook her head bouncing in her seat excited for her first big girl mac donalds and smiled popping open the box her eyes widened.

"Wow thats so big! Look daddy looooook when I finish that my tummy will be as big as mummys! I will look like I got a baby to!" You laughed twisting the phone to see Henry on the screen still filming.

"Well you was a good girl and we did promise you anything today so you just enjoy your lunch okay poppet!" She grinned then inspected her food and frowned you and Henry began opening your own lunch sharing a look over the table as Paige blinked moving her tiny hands over then bun trying to squish it down so she could pick it up she faltered then blinked she tried again then scratched her head a little finally huffing and looked to Henry who had been watching and smirked trying to hold in a chuckle at the cute pout his daughter had.

"D-daddy....Daddy how am I? Daddy I can't pick it up" You both laughed as Henry quickly picked up the huge burger that was almost the size of her head, he held it in one hand moving it up to her she clutched his hand and the other side of the burger just getting her thumb and fingers around the bottom and middle buns. She took a bite as he held it steady for her all the while you were giggling filming her first big mac experience definitely planning to pull stills from it, hell this might even make it into the Christmas calender's you made as gifts for each year...on that thought a still of Henry's shocked face on Ellen with Paige was a good idea to...She squealed happily whilst eating making you and Henry smile.

Paige had got a quarter of the way threw the burger and was full,she didn't even have her chips or Mc flurry, she didn't care much either when you binned the melted icecream she was to happy with her 'big girl big mac' that had been wrapped up and in your hand bag for her to finish, she wouldn't let you bin it. The rest of the day had been spent lounging around the pool at the hotel Henry had played with Paige, picking her up and throwing her in the water making her scream as she kicked about paddling with her arm bands bobbing about in the water as he chased her, swimming under her being a 'shark' and tickling her feet making her laugh loudly and try to float away.

Yesterday he had another day off and had spent it with Paige having a daddy daughter day and you had made full use of the spa...Well maybe not full use there were many things you couldn't do because of the pregnancy. but you had got a facial and mani pedi and a Indian head massage then on to the more uncomfortable treatments your eyebrows done and at the prospect of your day with upcoming Henry your legs and bikini line...Yeah out of all the things you could do in a five star luxury spa it had to be the painful things you could do

You hummed you were onset again Henry had just filmed a few scenes and you was waiting by the crew for him to have the okay to run off back to his trailer.Paige was having the time of her life at the hotel kiddy club there was swimming lessons and a huge playground then fun arts and craft activities planed in the afternoon you was picking he up at 5pm when Henry had to be onset for the evening shoot.

"Sooo hows mama holding up?" you jumped about a foot in the air as Ben slid up beside you chuckling. you and Ben had got on over the week you and Paige had been here, he was brilliant with Paige understanding from his own kids how much it meant to her to meet 'batman' he'd played along and you and Henry had even had to use the old threat 'I will tell batman, I will I will phone him right now so he can come and tell you off' to get her to behave how long it will last your not sure but it had been a god send.

"Sorry didn't mean to frighten you...So you feeling? any cravings yet?"

"does sex count" he spat his drink at that laughing loudly making you chuckle.

"OOHHH I see them hormones hitting you hard huh? no wonder your out here...Wheres the other two?" you smiled at him shaking your head.

"Paige is at the kiddy club in the hotel learning not to drown and Kal is currently asleep in the trailer, Henry wore him out this morning before coming here." Ben smiled nodding watching as you eyed your man.

"So? your gonna fuck superman today?" he smiled cheekily you flushed pushing him.

"If I get my way fuck yes....Just hope this suit is easier to put back on then the last one...Got him fucking stuck nearly ripped it bless him" he blushed brightly.

"Fuck no kidding?!" you nodded to him exasperated. you smiled as Henry finally got the okay to leave and ran, yes ran to you quickly scooping you up making you giggle and kick your legs.

"Bye Ben!" you waved over Henry's shoulder he waved back shaking his head.

Without any interruptions or detours you soon found yourself in the trailer cozying up with your very own superman kissing and sucking at his neck as he moved pinning you to the bed grunting entangling his tongue with yours.he moved to place himself between your legs.

"Fuck I can’t wait to be inside you again...Been to fucking long since I stuffed you full!" you moaned as he tore at your clothes rolling you over carefully as he stripped you kissing and biting at your neck as he did. It wasn't until then you saw kal...Sitting right at the bed his tail thumping on the floor. He thought you were playing...You hoped. You tapped Henry trying to get his attention but he was to interested in flicking your nipples with his tongue.

"Babe....babe!....Hey Superman hold up!" you finally moved his head to look at you.

"Huh?" you looked at Kal who was still watching you both.

"And it’s Kal?....He don't know what we're doing do you boy?" you looked from him to the dog then back.

"Really? you think he don't know the birds and bees? And what about when we role play? what’s he gonna do when I call you Kal?." Henry laughed moving to kiss you again then pulled back licking his way across your neck and shoulder speaking between kisses

"Well...Call me...Clark then" you frowned you didn't think of that one last time you'd done the whole 'Alien meets human' scenario you poked his smug little face

"Alright smart ass" you resumed kissing at him rolling on the bed carefully then glanced feeling something hot puffs of air. Kal panting on your side.

"Babe wait...Kal come on don't be all creepy breathing on my like that boo!" Henry pulled back rolling his eyes

"Babe leave him its fine we have had sex around him before"

"Yes but he's never been so close... Its like voyeur! our son is a voyeur!!"

"Come on love he don't understand besides he watches you in the shower...He has seen you poop!....Okay okay ,Kal go lie down over there, come on off you pop" he said pressing at the Akita to the door Kal huffed and laid down a little ways from you both

"Far enough?" you nodded to him and pounced at him biting at his neck making him moan low in his throat he pressed you back bringing his hands to the apex of your thighs moving them slow and steady rubbing at your needy pussy whilst talking up a role play for you which was incredible.

"Fuck,I don't normally do this but you, you are fucking magnificent, you owe me little woman! saving you as I did, its not often I ask for anything in return but fuck if I don't want to fuck you~, tell me you going to let me fuck you? let superman cum in that little hot cunt as a reward?" you moaned tho cheesy and cliche you couldn't resist as he moved his hot mouth across your tits sucking and pulling at the overly sensitive flesh as he dipped his fingers inside of you rolling your bud with his finger he nuzzled his face across your stomach slowly placing a chaste kiss over your unborn.

The moment was ruined when Kal gave a small 'boof' making you both jump about a foot scared shitless as the bear had crept back to the bed resting his chin on the mattress staring at the both of you Knowingly. Kal didn't like you fucking whilst pregnant apparently that. You sighed telling him to go lay down and he did .....on the bed next to you shoving Henry away from you with his big furry head resting it on your belly blinking up at his dad with puppy eyes.

You laughed at the look on Henry's face, superman had just been cock blocked by his puppy and you roared with laughter unable to stop petting the silly bear.

"Oh god hahaha! Kal please come on off boy! Mummy and daddy want some alone time..." The bear huffed.No. he stayed still looking at you and Henry with just his eyes pretending to ignore you both. Henry sighed leaning over him.

"Okay then son here's the deal...You let me go at your mother for and hour and I promise you the biggest rawhide chicken treat I can find? okay deal?" you giggled as Kal’s ears perked up at the word chicken. He was thinking about it so you added to it trying to convince your four legged son.

"Just think Kal....A big stick of raw hide chew with a huge slab of dried chicken all to your self, and either of us will take it away when we think it will spoil your dinner...you get the whole thing in one sitting?...oh and did you know there are some huge treats after all it is America" he barked happily wagging his tail and jumped off the bed disappearing to the other end of the trailer. you and Henry blinked at him you recovered first scowling at Henry.

"And you said he didn't know what we were doing! fucking damn right he new!" Henry shook his head laughing uncomfortably

"He scares me sometimes..."

"No shit!"

"Now where were we? we only have an hour~" you giggled as he dived back down ready to spend the time Kal had allowed you ravishing each other. Kal did not give you an hour, being generous pup he was he gave you two.

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine

The Reader is a virgin and Erik gives her oral turning her out/Erik dry humping The Reader playfully

I am doing two imagines in one because I wanted to write these two together I think it fits lol. Also, it took me forever to write this that is why I haven’t updated in like three days. Very long, and very detailed. Enjoy 💖

Warnings: SMUT, Bickering, slight FLUFF, Daddy-dom, mention of blood, Virgin SMUT, dry humping. 

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“Yo, am I gonna have to pop this clown! Nigga, don’t you EVER put your fucking hands on my best friend like that. When she tells you no that means no, nigga.”

She looked at him with cautious eyes. Her best friend, Erik Stevens, was there to save the day. Thank God for him. The guy who had a death wish was pushing up on her and grabbing her ass after Y/N told him multiple times that she wasn’t interested. All she had to do was hit up Erik and he came to the rescue. He didn’t fuck around when it involved Y/N. That was his Thickums.

Don’t nobody fuck wit’ my Thickums. I will kill for her.

That’s just how it was.  Erik and Y/N  have been best friends since she met him through her brother. It didn’t take long to connect and vibe the way they both did. Tony, her big bro, died in a motorcycle accident and even though she hates to say it, that accident brought Erik and her closer. Now he was Y/N’s protector since Tony was dead. Erik is older than Tony by three years and Y/N by four.

“Aye, my fault, bruh, this yo girl?” The drunk asshole with frisky hands asked.

“Does that matter? Don’t worry about all that,” Erik pointed a deadly finger at the guy almost shoving his head back, “Don’t touch her again, BRUH, before I put you six feet under-“

“Erik!” Her prominent eyes went wide staring up at him before she mouthed let it go. Over the years Y/N gained some upper body strength with the number of times she had to hold Erik back from killing someone. The thing is, he would literally KILL someone. He didn’t hide anything from her. The times he’d been away was times when he was off doing a mercenary job adding scars to his body. He would come and go with little communication and each time felt like a hole was being drilled into her heart.

Now here he was. Back home after a couple of months. He seemed angrier than the other times he came back from a job. His eyes were stone cold and pitch black. Nostrils flared and blowing smoke like a dragon. Hennessy running through his veins. Fists clenched and veins popping out his arms. Y/N grabs Erik’s jaw to make him look down at her. When she did, his eyes seemed to soften and then a teasing smile spread across his lips.

“I’m cool, Thickums,” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, “I won’t kill nobody tonight, I promise.”

They both had an audience at this little bar and lounge that Y/N’s friend, Paige, dragged her to. All the black people staring over at the bar to see if a fight would break out so they could record. The disgusting guy who tried to touch Y/N walked away muttering something and Y/N was sure that Erik overheard it. Pulling Y/N in closer, Erik placed a kiss to her forehead before turning her back around to face the bar. The smell of his Tom Ford cologne burned her nose. He dragged his face along her wild curly hair with his arm still around her. Y/N didn’t complain because she knew her best friend missed her and he was also very drunk. However, that wasn’t until Erik leaned against her, causing her breasts to painfully smash against the edge of the bar. He was doing that shit on purpose now.

“Erik, stop! you’re putting all your body weight on me, “ Y/N complains as she rolls her eyes before pushing Erik away.

“I miss you, Thickums. It’s always good to see my best friend when I come back home.”

“If you miss me so much you wouldn’t leave like you do, stupid,” She could feel Erik wrapping his large arms around her waist, prompting his biceps to mold into her hips. He was very touchy-feely when he was drunk and Y/N knew she was going to have to babysit his ass. No driving at all.

“Why would you drive here drunk, Erik?” She spoke with a stern voice.

“Because...I can,” He looked down at her with an elevated brow, “Why, you’re gonna punish me, Thickums?”

“If only I could tame your big ass.”

“You wish you could tame me, baby girl. So what’s really been up with you?”

She chuckled before taking a seat at the bar, “Besides the same old everyday boring shit, I’ve been getting set up with blind dates by Paige and her friends.”

“Blind dates? Really?” Erik shook his head before smiling, “And how did that go?”

“Fucking horrible. That’s all they want is sex. I don’t have time for that mess.”

Erik bit down on his bottom lip to suppress a laugh.

“What?” She asked with a bothered tone.

“I keep forgetting you still have your V card.”

She looked around her at the crowded bar to see if anyone overheard him. Blushing, Y/N takes a sip of her mixed drink. She didn’t want to get on the topic of virginity.

“Let me guess,” Erik nudged her with his shoulder, “You don’t wanna talk about it?”

“Nope. And definitely not here.”

“We ain’t gotta talk about it here we can talk on the way back to your place.”

Y/N leaned back from Erik with a playful smile, “You’re spending the night with me, bestie?”

“Only because I don’t feel like making that drive to my new spot. You gotta come through soon it’s dope.”

“Just like that Audi R8 V10 you got parked outside?”

Erik glanced over at her with low eyes and a smirk, “You love the whip, huh?”

“Love it?” Y/N’s eyes rolled with a leering expression on her face, “Love it doesn’t even describe how much I envy you right now.”

“You’re not driving my shit, woman,” Erik shook his head before waving his hand in her face, “I said no! you can’t drive for shit.”

“HERE WE GO,” Her voice grew loud and defensive, “I can drive jack ass-“

“Not when you swerve up on the sidewalk you can’t-“

“Bitch, don’t even play with me like that it was one time!”

Erik glared at her, his voice becoming deep and gravely, “Did you just call me a bitch?”

“I-Yes, yes I did.”

“You better watch your fucking mouth, Thickums. You’re lucky you’re my bestie because if not...”

Erik smirked before turning away from her. Y/N blinked at him with interest, impatience written all over her face.

“If not, what?”

“...Put my dick in your mouth to make you shut up.”

“Oh...” her skin felt like a furnace.

“See, that’s why I didn’t want to say it. You need to loosen up, bestie,” Erik nudges her shoulder playfully.

“I can’t believe you just said that to me, E,” Y/N avoided Erik’s eye. She couldn’t understand why she felt so...turned on. Maybe it was because that was the first time a guy ever said something like that to her. She wouldn’t feel so awkward if he said that to another girl but he was referring to her in that manner. Now, the wheels in her head were turning. What if Erik wanted Y/N to be his girl? What if he thought about having sex with her but didn’t mention it for obvious reasons. Y/N was so deep in thought at the bar that she hadn’t noticed Erik calling her name. It took for him to wrap his arms around her waist again and pull her close to him for her to finally snap out of her daze and come back to the present.

“Huh?” She said with a whimsical expression on her face.

“You good? Should we bounce?” Erik asked with concern. His brown eyes focused on her intently.

“Um, yeah, we can,” She grabbed her clutch from the bar, grimacing a little because it was sticky at the bottom, “let me just tell Paige and then we can go-“

“Paige ain’t worried, look,” Erik pointed to a small section near a bar on the other side of the lounge. Paige was surrounded by a few men and her other friends she brought with her. They were freak dancing and flirting with drinks in their hands and low eyes.

“Paige ain’t worried. She too busy freaking on some dude.”

“And drunk out of her damn mind,” Y/N added with a disapproving tone.

“Jealousy isn’t a good look, bestie,” Erik joked.

“Jealous? Why the fuck would I be jealous, Erik?”

“Because deep down in your virgin heart, you want to let loose and grind that thick ass on a nigga. I know you do. You ain’t even gotta front with me. I know you better than you know yourself, Thickums.”

“Clearly you don’t, because-“

“Save all that shit, ma,” Erik threw down some money that the bartender graciously grabbed before someone else did, “Let’s go. We need to have a little discussion.”

“No,” she shook her curly head, “You are drunk, I’m calling an Uber.”

“I’m not getting in the back of somebody’s car when I have my own,” Erik snatched her phone from her hand, “And I’m not drunk, just a little buzzed. I’ll finish off my bottle when we get in the house, ma.”

“Whatever,” Y/N stomped away and through the crowd, leaving Erik behind. He caught up with her and grabbed her hand, both of them rushing out of the claustrophobic lounge. Finally, outside, Y/N was thankful for the 60-degree weather because it felt much better against her skin than the 90 degrees in the lounge.

“Can I have my phone back now, DAD?”

“Not with that fucking attitude,” Erik pulled her arm like she was a bad kid, “Let’s go.”

Y/N stayed rooted to the spot. She pulled her arm back causing Erik to stumble and a black couple to walk past snickering. Erik looked down at her as if she tried to kill him. Eyes round saucers, nostrils flared, breathing heavily like a dungeon dragon, grip on her hand tighter than before, Erik was pissed.

“Y/N,” Erik looked from side to side before speaking in a gruff low tone, “Don’t make me embarrass you out here, best friend or not, I will whip that ass.”

“Okay, Killmon-“

“Say it.” Erik dared her. Y/N snapped her mouth shut before lowering her head to fight a smile. She loved toying with Erik.

“Getting on my damn nerves,” He pulled her again, “now come on before I throw you over my shoulder.”

“Fine,” She stopped with her games for now. They both walked down the street and around a corner to find Erik’s car parked next to a Subway. He unlocked the doors with a click of a button before walking to the passenger side to allow Y/N access. She slipped inside and watched Erik shut the door softly. As he walked around to the other side, Y/N opened the door again and slammed it shut. She snickered and damn near lost her breath at the way he stopped in front of the car and scowled at her. He nodded his head slowly before walking with his chest poked out to the driver's side. Y/N could not control her laughing. Hand clutched for her chest, eyes welling up with tears, breathing nonexistent. She was in literal shambles.

“WHAT THE FUCK, GIRL!” Erik growled, “You really asking for it don’t be slamming my door like that!!!!fuck is wrong with you!!!”

“You should have seen your face, oh my God,” she threw her head back, “You were ready to kill me over your whip.”

“You wanna try me again?” Erik asked with an even tone. But it was a dangerous tone of voice.

“If it makes you look all angry like a pit bull then HELL YEAH,” Y/N closed her eyes, falling into laughter again.

“I really wanna throw you over my lap and pop that big ass butt until you cry.”

Y/N licked her lips, the laughter gone and replaced with a shocked expression.

“...did you? I mean...did you just?”

Erik didn’t say a word. He started his car, turned the volume up on the radio, and focused all of his attention on driving even though his hands were itching to spank her good and hard.

“Erik?” Y/N asked with a soft tone. Still, nothing from him.

“E-Kill-I’m sorry,” She put an innocent smile on her face, “I love you, bestie, don’t be mad at me.”

“You really know how to piss a nigga off.”

Y/N beamed, leaning over to kiss Erik’s cheek, “It was all jokes, kay? I just like messing with you.”

Erik shook his head, “It’s because you know I won’t get you for it. But that’s where you’re wrong, Thickness,” Erik reaches across to the passenger side, grabbing Y/N’s exposed thigh and squeezing it hard. She swatted his hand away before kissing her teeth. Erik laughs before mushing her playfully.

“What do you mean?” She looked at him with wary eyes while massaging her upper thigh. His grip was firm.

“My best friend is too beautiful and sexy and she needs to let loose a little, cut all that shy shit out. You hear me talking to you, Thickums?”

“I hear you but I’m not following,” She gave Erik a puzzled look.

“When we get back to the house,” Erik paused for mystery, “I’m gonna teach you some things.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see. Put your seatbelt on.”

Y/N fastened her seatbelt. She kept her eyes on Erik to see if he would break down and tell her but no, he acted like she wasn’t even there staring at him with her doe eyes. Y/N pouts, folding her arms across her chest. The silence was eating her alive. The drive felt longer than usual. As soon as they pulled into her Apartment Complex and Erik parked his car next to hers, she hopped out and walked to her building to unlock the door. Erik took his time grabbing his bottle of Hennessy to annoy her further. He even turned up the music in his car to bop to a little while drinking.

“Drip to hard/don’t stand too close/you gon’ fuck around and drown off this wave/doing all these shows/I’ve been on the road/I don’t care where I go/long as I get paid/bad lil vibe/she been on my mind/Soon as I get back/she gettin’ slayed/do this all the time/this ain’t no surprise/every other night/another movie getting made!!”

She watched Erik rap in his driver's seat, tapping her foot rapidly against the concrete with a mug on her face. She was fuming watching him have his little concert.

“Erik!!!” She yelled at him even though he could hardly hear her with that loud music.

“What’s up, Y/N!”

Y/N turned to see her neighbor, Sharnese, walking towards the building in a pair of leggings and a thin ass T-shirt with a bonnet on her head.

“Hey, Nese,” Y/N groaned, her eyes focusing back on Erik dancing in his driver's seat.

“You okay, girl?” Sharnese followed Y/N’s line of vision and a big smile appeared on her face. Sharnese squealed like a schoolgirl, jumping up and down making her titties bounce around.

“IS THAT ERIK?!”

“Yeah, that’s his annoying ass-“

“OH MY GOD ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE IVE SEEN HIM!” She rushed towards his car. Sharnese ran around to Erik’s side, knocking on his window. Erik looked over at her before smirking, rolling his window down. Sharnese wrapped her arms around Erik’s neck before leaning into the car, all in Erik’s face, planting a kiss to his cheek. They were talking a little too close for Y/N’s liking. She was growing jealous.

Why is this bitch on my best friend like that?

Sharnese giggles then she bit her lip.

Girl, you do too much.

“Erik!!!!!!” Y/N yelled making her throat raw. Sharnese and Erik looked over at her as if she interrupted something.

“What? Let’s go!” Y/N finally unlocked the door to the building before pulling it open and stomping up the steps to her place. She was so angry that she dropped her keys a few times while trying to get her apartment door, 2C, opened.

“I haven’t seen Nese in a minute, Y/N, stop acting like that.”

She ignored Erik and walked into her place, kicking off her shoes at the door. Feeling a vibration inside her clutch, Y/N pulled her phone out to see that she’d gotten a message notification from Paige letting her know that she made it home safe with everyone.

“She was all in your face, Erik.”

“I know,” He walked to the kitchen to retrieve a few cups, “She’s cute. Pretty and ghetto.”

“Erik, shut up.”

“I don’t want her, Y/N. Stop being jealous. Every time I come home you have me to yourself. A nigga has needs too. Just because you ain’t getting none doesn’t mean I don’t want none.”

“Was that a jab at me for being a virgin?” She was truly offended.

“Let’s talk about that.”

Y/N saw Erik pouring two cups of Hennessy and apple juice.

“What is there to talk about? I haven’t had dick Erik, boo-hoo, what’s so special?”

Erik almost spilled his drink, “What’s so special? Man,” He laughs, “You wouldn’t be saying that if you let a nigga pop your cherry.”

“I don’t want just any nigga taking my virginity, my pussy is too precious for any nigga.”

“You’re right,” Erik swirled his drink around his mouth before swallowing, “That’s why I have a suggestion.”

“If it involves one of your friends, fuck no-“

“If you shut up and let me talk, Thickums, then you’ll know.”

Y/N sat down on her carpeted floor in her living room, head leaning back against the couch. She motioned for Erik to speak.

“What if...I help you out?”

“Come again?” She asked him to clarify.

“What if I am the one to...” Erik made a motion with his hands to make her catch on to what he was inquiring about. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion at that very moment. Y/N stares unblinking at Erik. Even him snapping his fingers in her face didn’t break her out of it.

“Oh my God,” Erik ran his hands down his face frustratingly, “It’s sex, Y/N, I’m asking you to let me be the nigga to pop your precious cherry.”

Still bewildered, she opened then closed her mouth like a fish in the water.

“Hello?” Erik said with annoyance, “Why are you giving me the silent treatment now?”

“Um...” Y/N laughs nervously,  lifting from the floor to take a seat while gripping the edge of the couch, “Erik...are you for real?”

“No, I’m for play,” Erik chuckles, “Yes, Thickums, I’m asking you to...let me...you know...lay that pipe.”

“Nah,” Y/N motioned for Erik to pass her his cup, “That’s enough devil juice for you tonight, bestie, you are really tripping.”

Erik threw it back in one sip before placing his cup on the coffee table, “I’m dead ass, ma, no games over here. I really wanna hit.”

“Wow. What the hell happened to you when you were gone for two whole months?”

“Nothing, I’m still the same old Erik. Just...okay don’t look at me like that,” Erik rolls his eyes, “You want me to keep it real?”

Y/N tilted her head up at Erik, “Yes, I want you to keep it real and stop messing around. You don’t play and say something like that unless you really want to do that, you get what I’m saying?”

“Yeah,” Erik lets out a breath slowly, “which is why I’m about to be brutally honest.”

“Fuck,” Y/N nibbled on her bottom lip.

“Fuck ain’t even the word, Thickums,” Erik looked over at his Hennessy, “I’m gonna need more to drink.”

“Fill mine up too,” Y/N really needed it. Her stomach felt queasy. She figured drinking Erik’s favorite drink would calm her nerves and prepare her for what this man had to say. Erik walked over with her cup and the bottle, settling next to her on the couch. He poured himself a cup, then handed her the mixture he made with the apple juice. Y/N curled up into the corner of the couch while tucking her toes into the cushion to warm them. She fixed her skirt so Erik wouldn’t have a straight-on view of her panties.

“Aight so listen,” Erik leans on his thighs while twirling his cup in hand, “I’ve thought about having sex with you on plenty of occasions but I didn’t initiate it because you’ve been my best friend since like, forever, and I just didn’t want to make the shit weird-“

“Like right now?” Y/N spoke with a shaky voice.

“Yeah...like right now. This shit is mad awkward forget I brought it up-“

“Nope,” Y/N takes a long sip before scrunching her face with disgust. Too much Hennessy and not enough apple juice.

“Don’t get scared over there cuz I know you can’t talk about sex for five seconds.”

“You’re so petty,” Y/N scowled, “Keep talking.”

“I told you I’m going to be brutally honest. And... I peep shit.”

What did he peep? Y/N sat up straighter. She felt like she was sitting in a confessional with a lie detector attached to her arm.

“For one thing, you get mad jealous when I talk to other women. Like...possessive. Two, you stare a nigga down hard when I got my shirt off and when I’m walking around in my grey sweat pants-“

“Erik-“

“Don’t interrupt me again,” He said with a husky voice. Y/N closed her mouth and listened.

“You blush anytime I make a reference to sex or compliment you, especially if I talk about your ass. You love it when I call you my Thickums. Makes you feel special doesn’t it?”

“I hate you.” She could feel her cheeks heating up. Y/N covered her face out of embarrassment.

“No, you love me,” Erik reaches across to pull her hands away, “And you have feelings for me.”

“Leave it alone, ERIK.” She was starting to grow frustrated.

“You want me to be that special nigga that pops your cherry-“

“Didn’t you pop Paige’s cherry? If that’s the case then you’re not so special, ERIK.”

Erik mugged at her, “The fuck you mean by that? I ain’t never fuck Paige. That’s a fucking insult to myself, especially this dick,” Erik pointed to the dick in question. He kissed his teeth, “Man...I can’t believe you put me and Paige in one sentence like that.”

“That’s what everybody said, Erik! And you didn’t deny it either-“

“Everybody must wanna die. I don’t like motherfuckers lying on me, Y/N. You know how I can get,” Erik’s jaw tightened, “Really? And you of all people believed that shit?”

“Because you DIDNT DENY IT.” She yelled.

“Number one, I was hardly around to deny it. Two, I don’t entertain that bullshit. It’s child’s play. Three, I would never disrespect you like that and fuck your homegirl-“

“Erik, you fucked one of my homegirls STOP IT,” Y/N laughed harshly.

“WHO?” He argued back.

“JAMILLA.” Y/N fired back.

“JAMILLA? Big titties? Chocolate? Short cut hair?”

“...Yes.” Y/N pinched the bridge of her nose. Erik was deep in thought for a second before a coy smile spread across his lips. Y/N hated his handsome smile at that very moment.

“I remember Jamilla,” Erik reaches for his cup but those dimples couldn’t be hidden even if he tried, they were too damn deep.

“She was cool,” He shrugs, bringing that cup to his lips but as soon as he looked over at Y/N’s glaring face Erik damn near spit his drink all over his crisp white T-shirt.

“Fuck you.” Y/N said with spite.

“Listen, can we just get back on topic? About you? I’m not worried about Jamilla, Paige, or Sharnese, okay? I’m worried about my best friend-“

“That you all of a sudden want to fuck?”

“It’s not all of a sudden-did you hear what I said earlier? I SAID that I thought about it plenty of times before, Thickums.”

“Well...why bring it up now?”

“Because I figured I should tell you and get it off my chest since you want some dick from a worthy nigga such as myself.”

“What makes you think it’s you that I want dick from?”

Erik bites his lower lip, “That’s really cute, ma, real cute. What other nigga is worthy? You turn down any dude that gets in your space, and I’m the only man that you’re this comfortable around. So, if that doesn’t confirm it I don’t know what else does. Unless...there are some personal reasons that you haven’t shared with me,” Erik raises a brow at her while looking at her body. Y/N felt exposed and purely shocked at Erik looking at her the way he was. All seductive and sexy.

“Admit it,” Erik pushes, “You want to lose your virginity to me but you’re afraid. You’re afraid to ask because I’m your best friend and you don’t want to make it weird and ruin our friendship. Admit it...you were saving yourself for me.”

Y/N had a vacant expression on her face. She looked away from Erik and down into her lap, twirling the ring around her finger. She couldn’t look Erik in the eyes. He was right. She was saving herself for him. She thought she could deny it for however long and hope that he would somehow make the first move on her. She hadn’t expected that day to be today. He could read her so well. Was she really that obvious?

“I don’t hear you talking, Thickums.”

“Shut up, Erik.”

“Talk to me-“

“NO!” She threw a pillow at Erik’s head, “No! I’m not saying shit.”

“Cuz’ I’m spot on,” He laughs, “I knew it-“

“Erik...shut up...right now.”

“NO. You shut up before I lay you out on this fucking couch-“

“Don’t tell me to shut up-“

“SHUT THE FUCK UP.” Erik raised his voice.

“Who are you talking to?!!!-“

Erik Damn near charged at Y/N on the couch, pinning her body down flat, bringing her arms above her head, and placing his strong body on top of hers. She squirmed, squealed, fussed, but Erik wasn’t letting go. He allowed her to grow tired so that she would have no other choice but to give in. Finally, she stopped moving and started whimpering. Erik was laid out on top of her, his crotch resting on her upper thigh. The more she made those little whimpering noises the more his dick grew. He looked down at her thigh then up into her face. She weakly met his eyes before looking away to avoid them.

“Look at me,” Erik demanded.

“No. You need to get off of me.”

“But you don’t want me to.”

Y/N moved her thigh that was directly under Erik’s crotch, giving him some friction. Erik swallowed spit. That thigh meat felt good against his dick. He went to move against her causing her to writhe beneath him, her thighs moving up and down. Up and down. Side to side. Side to side.

“What are you doing?” Y/N glanced down at her leg.

“Nothing,” Erik plays it off.

“Erik,” Y/N threw her head back against the arm of the couch, “get off of me.”

“No.”

“Pleaseeeee.” She begged.

That only made Erik move against her thigh again. Alarmed, Y/N started twisting her wrists to try and release herself from his grasp.

“What are you d-doing?” She staggered.

“Just playing,” Erik laughs.

“Playing?” Y/N watches Erik move his crotch up and down her leg.

“Erik, are you-“

“Just shut up and let it happen, Thickness,” His dick was almost at full capacity. About 95% hard. It was Y/N’s thick thighs. Felt like he was grinding into a couch cushion with how thick and soft she is. Each time his dick would rub against her, his balls would jump.

“Erik, a-are you humping me?” Y/N barely spoke. Her voice was so low in his ear. How did it get to this? One minute Y/N was calling up Erik to help her out and now he was grinding his dick against her thigh. Her face was frozen. Her limbs were stiff. She could feel that thick pole and all its length glide against her skin. Each time he came back up his dick would twist to the side in his jeans and touch her inner thigh. He was...she couldn’t find a word that best describes how big he was besides large. Enormous? Monstrous? Vast? Colossal?

“What does it look like, ma?” He bit into his lip, a soft chuckle escaping his mouth at Y/N’s expression. She was lost. Barely able to register what was happening.

“That’s what it looks like,” Y/N spoke off to the side because she couldn’t look Erik in the eye.

“This too much for you, Miss Virgin? I mean...” he swiveled his hips causing his dick to move from side to side on her thigh, “I know you’re pure and all...”

“Fuck, Erik. Please get off of m-me,” Y/N’s heart was thumping in her rib cage, “You’re drunk and when you wake up tomorrow you won’t even realize what you d-did.” She felt exhausted and all she was doing was laying there taking Erik’s assaults. He clearly thought the shit was hilarious because Y/N could tell that he was smiling in her peripheral.

“You got me over here dry humping you’re leg. Stop acting like you don’t like it and let go.”

“I can see that,” she said with an awkward tone, “Erik, I’m in literal shock right now-“

“See what? You ain’t seeing shit with your eyes looking at the wall.”

Y/N rolled her eyes before biting her tongue. She did like it. She’d never experienced it. He was centimeters away from her crotch. All he had to do was pull his pants and briefs down and there would be skin on skin humping. Y/N would probably cum right then and there from that alone. Her pussy was throbbing right now, “I have more courage to focus on the wall than at what you’re doing to me right now.”

“Thickums,” Erik whispered in her ear, “don’t you wanna see it?” Her heart stopped.

“It?” She asked with a perplexed expression.

“Yeah,” He smiled, “Tell me what it is.”

“...I don’t want to, Erik.” She shook her head, trying to force herself to breathe normally again.

“Why? Tell me, I’m your bestie.”

Why is your dick so big? Why are you making my pussy so wet? Can you please pop my cherry? I’ve always wanted this too. Erik, I’m dick-hungry and I need it. Show me?

Her eyes closed.

“Why are you so damn thick?” His breathing was ragged.

“Genetics,” she answered sarcastically.

Erik kisses his teeth, “You’re so damn uptight. Loosen the fuck up before I make you.”

“Erik, please-“

“Nah, I want you to stop acting all shy. It’s me, Erik, your best friend for like, 15 years?”

But,” Y/N licked her dry lips, “My best friend is getting...getting hard because of me. It’s...I can’t even think straight.”

Erik grabs her chin, making her look at him. When she did, she saw all of the desire in his eyes. Raw, uncontrollable, desire. It stunned her. Now, Y/N couldn’t look away. He wasn’t giving her an annoyed look like he usually would. He wasn’t ready to burst into a laughing fit as if to say “gotcha”. Y/N knew he was dead serious. She felt her body relax against his. This was Erik. She could be open with him and honest.

“Erik...,” Y/N looked from her thigh to his face, “I’m not gonna lie...I’m nervous.”

“I know. That’s why I want you to loosen up. We don’t even gotta have sex-“

“No, no. I want to.” Y/N felt her body shivering.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I do want you to be my first. I can’t think of anybody else...”

There was silence for a moment. Erik and Y/N just stared at each other. They were silently accepting what the next move would be. Kiss. Undress. Touch. Lick. Suck. Fuck.

“I got you,” Erik kisses her forehead, “I promise it’ll be amazing. None of that wack shit. I want my best friend to have a memorable first time.”

“Okay,” Y/N spoke with a soft voice.

“Okay,” Erik let go of Y/N’s wrists above her head slowly. Her hands came down at her sides. Erik watched her for a moment to see if she would change her mind but Y/N waited patiently for Erik to make the first move. Any move. Erik’s eyes admired Y/N. Full lips, prominent brown eyes, round nose, head full of kinky curly hair that frizzed at the ends because she picked it out. Now, his eyes were staring at the silhouette of her body. Curvy, soft, chocolate. Everything that he loved. Everything he wanted to eat, suck, lick, bite, fuck. Erik reaches his left hand up to Y/Ns face. Using just his fingertips, Erik strokes Y/N from her forehead down to her chin. His thumb would delicately touch her cheek while he gazed into her eyes to watch her every reaction.

“You’re so beautiful Thickums,” Erik smiles.

“Thanks, E,” she bashfully looked down.

“Especially those lips,” Erik bit his lip, “Those lips looking really juicy.”

“Oh gosh,” Y/N giggles while biting her lip.

“Stop, STOP,” Erik deepens his voice, “I’m supposed to bite that lip.”

Y/N slowly dragged her lip from between her teeth. The moment her spit covered lip released, Erik takes his teeth to bit her lip lightly. Y/N’s body jumped. She wasn’t used to that type of contact. Of course, she kissed guys before but never like this. Erik’s lips sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. Y/N could taste the Hennessy on his tongue. His tongue was so warm and silky smooth. Each time he dragged his tongue along her bottom lip, Y/N would take her fists to grip Erik’s shirt tightly.

“You’re gonna let me stick my tongue down your throat, Y/N?”

“Y-yes.”

Erik gripped her neck lightly, taking his much fuller lips to mold with Y/N’s. He took her breath away each time he kissed. Y/N brought her hands up to hold Erik’s face, closing her eyes to relish at the moment. She couldn’t look at him while they kissed. It was too intense. Erik didn’t even speak, his body did all the talking. Grinding his iron-hard dick into her thigh, grunting into her mouth, tongue wiggling in her mouth, hands coming down to wrap around her waist, pulling her into his solid chest. He could feel her nipples through her Demi bra and thin white top.

“Erik,” Y/N stopped kissing Erik to breathe and lick her swollen lips, “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“I can’t either,” Erik reaches up to grab her left breast, “but I like this shit. My dick is...so stiff.”

“I know,” Y/N whispered.

“Look, let me show you.”

Erik sat on his knees. Y/N watched with low eyes as Erik unbuttons his jeans. Then comes the zipper. The one barrier keeping that long dick away from her. Erik takes his shirt to rest under his chin, his hands sliding into his jeans and briefs, pulling them down in one clean motion. Her gasp and wide eyes were the reactions that he wanted. Y/N covered her mouth, her eyes never leaving Erik’s dick. Long, girthy, smooth, groomed, chocolate, veins protruding through his skin, tip shiny from his precum, Y/N was blown away. 

“You see how hard my dick is?” Erik moved his hips to make his dick bounce, “I’m so hard, bestie.”

“Um,” Y/N licked her lips, “It’s nice, Erik...it’s...a lot of dick.”

Both of them laugh.

“Yeah,” Erik grabs Y/N’s hand, “touch my dick, Thickums.”

“I’m scared,” Y/N nervously laughs.

“It’s okay, relax, ma. Didn’t I tell you I got you?”

“Yeah…,” Y/N looked up at Erik through her lashes.

“So let me take care of you,” Erik rubs her hand with his thumb, “Here,” he spoke softly. 

Erik wrapped Y/N’s hand around his shaft. Her fingers hardly touched with her hand grabbing him. She swallowed spit, her chest rising and falling swiftly. Y/N was afraid to do anything else but the warmth and softness of his dick made her pussy convulse. Imagine all that smooth dick sliding inside of you. Covered in your cream, stretching you out, digging deeply, and making you cum and squirt. At that moment, Y/N forgot about what her fingers and toys could do. She wanted to find out what Erik’s dick could make her do. 

“Look at that little hand grabbing all this meat.”

“Fuck, Erik.”

“Don’t worry, just wait, you’ll be able to take all of this.”

“I-okay…” Y/N was unsure.

“That tight pussy can stretch, Y/N, before you know it, that pussy is gonna’ take all of me.”

She whimpers.

Erik didn’t say a word as he started untying Y/N’s long wrap skirt. He pulled the skirt from her body and stared down at a pair of yellow lace panties wrapped around a chocolate treat. 

“Mhm,” Erik took his fingers to play with the corners of the crotch of her panties, “This the pussy I’m taking, Y/N? This virgin pussy?”

“Uh-huh,” she spoke timidly.

“Uh-huh is right,” Erik leaned down to her again, Y/N’s hand still wrapped around his dick, “I’m eating your pussy too.”

“Okay, you can eat my pussy,” She nibbled on her bottom lip.

“You can eat my pussy,” Erik mocked her sweet voice, “Damn, just like that, huh?”

“Yeah,” Her voice was shaky.

“Bet,” Erik grabbed the end of Y/N’s shirt. He pulled it up past her belly and then over her bra. She had on a brown Demi bra. 

“Damn, nice full titties, ma,” He pulled down the straps and watched each fleshy mound pop out with hard Hershey kiss nipples. Y/N closed her eyes, skin heated from Erik using his thumbs to pluck her nipples and twirl them. Erik then pulled her nipples and shook her breasts, releasing them and watching them bounce. Y/N’s deep breaths became louder and louder while she squirmed beneath him. 

“Shit feels good doesn’t it?” 

“Yessssss,” She hissed.

“Ima suck em for you-“

“Please?” She reached out for him.

Erik wrapped his lips around her left nipple. He sucks nice and hard. She could feel her nipple repeatedly being pulled and suckled between Erik’s tight lips. Each nerve ending in her nipple ignited and sparked. Her thighs rubbed together, and her hands clawed his arms, mouth unhinged and stayed wide open with no sound escaping. So this is what it felt like to be suckled on? Now, she wanted him to show her right breast some attention. Y/N takes her hand to grip the back of Erik’s neck, pulling his face over to her other breast with a pout of her lip.

“Ha,” Erik looked up at her through his long lashes, “My bestie feenin’ already.” 

“It feels good,” She blushes.

“Mmm,” Erik gave her right nipple the same amount of attention while using his thumb to play with her left nipple. Y/N’s body arched and writhed. She ran her fingers through his dreads, pulling the coarse hair. He made her body tingle all over. Her toes curled and eyes rolled. If Erik kept this up she might cum. It felt that strong and good that she was ready to burst. 

“Fuck, girl,” Erik’s chin was stained with spit, “You taste like chocolate all over these nipples.” Erik licked her nipples one by one to give them equal amounts of attention. Her fingers in his hair were so violent. Erik could feel pain in his scalp as if she was trying to snatch his hair out. Y/N’s skin was at high temperature and now her thighs were squeezing Erik’s hips. 

“Chill out, Thickums,” Erik reaches around her body to pull her bra fully off, “That’s better,” his hands squeezed and massaged her breasts, “Give me a kiss.”

Initiating the kiss this time around, Y/N leaned forward on her elbows, sloppily crashing her lips into Erik’s. He softly chuckles, blowing air from his nose that tickles her upper lip. It was unhurried, steady, and gentle. Y/N wanted to learn Erik’s mouth and what he liked. Did he prefer for her to use a lot of tongue or did he enjoy the way she sucked on his bottom lip? Erik seemed to approve of whatever she did because he was grunting into her mouth repeatedly. Kissing him made her body have chills. Y/N felt like her soul was being sucked through her mouth into his from how breathless she was at the moment. 

“God,” she broke the kiss, taking in a deep breath. Erik trailed his kisses down her neck and back up over and over. Goosebumps rose over her skin and his hands stroking her shoulders didn’t help. 

“Your lips are so fucking soft, Mhm,” He nibbled on her bottom lip, “Why did you move your hand from my dick, ma? Put it back on there.”

Scared, Y/N grabs Erik’s dick again, testing the weight of it. He was so sure that she would be able to take him just fine but the more she squeezed him and lightly stroked him she started to feel apprehensive. Y/N’s hand moves down to touch Erik’s balls. She trembled, her breath coming out uneven. 

“Y/N,” Erik could feel her hand shaking around him, “Relax, baby, relax, Aight?”

“Erik-“

“Shhh, don’t talk,” Erik pulled at Y/N’s panties, “Let me take care of you, okay? That way, you’ll feel more confident to take care of me.”

Y/N simply nodded her head. Erik grabbed the sides of her panties to tug down her legs. Her knees quaked as soon as the fabric was down past her toes. She was now fully exposed in front of her best friend. Her best friend and now her fuck buddy. It was now or never. 

“Aren’t you going to take off your clothes, E?”

“Not until I’m finished with you. I want you to undress me.” Erik carefully placed his hands on Y/N’s knees, “I’m about to spread these thick thighs, ma, you ready?”

Dragging her tongue over her bottom lip, Y/N nodded her head sluggishly.

“Talk to me, ma, say yes,” Erik’s hands dragged up her thighs.

“Yes,” Erik was captivating her with his smooth voice. He can get all the pussy in the world with his voice. 

“Good girl. See? That wasn’t hard, Thickums-“

“Erik…,” She shyly looked away, “um...can you take off your clothes too? That’ll make me feel more comfortable if you're naked like me.”

“You sure?” He asked with a single brow upthrust. 

“I’m sure, E,” Y/N smiled, “Let me.”

Erik stood from the couch while Y/N sat in front of him. She helped him out of his jeans and briefs before tossing that on the floor in a wrinkled pile. Now, her fingers lightly pulled at the bottom of his shirt, hitching it up to reveal his scar covered abdomen and chest. Erik helped her out the rest of the way, pulling at his shirt from the back, then up and over his head forward. Even undressing him was stimulating. Erik was a lot of man. Able-bodied and powerful. 

“Lay back, girl, let me taste you.”

She could feel her body laying back against the couch but her mind was elsewhere. She was enthralled but at the same time, she was a nervous wreck. Erik’s strapping body hovered over hers for a moment before his chest touched her naked one. The scarring gave Y/N a pleasant texture against her nipples. His lips sucked on her throat before trailing down the middle of her chest, her belly where he licked her outie-belly button, and now all over her phat mound. She was smooth down there and could feel the moisture of his lips caressing and tasting her. She could feel her body thrusting up into Erik. Y/N’s heated eyes watched him push her thighs back gently so he could kiss her pussy lips delicately. Even when he kissed her outer lips, Erik could still taste her arousal. Sweet, syrupy, goodness. It was the natural lubricant that leaked from a virgin puss. Erik wanted to growl. 

“Goddamn,” He was fanatical, “This motherfucker tastes good.” 

“Thank you,” she withdrew her eyes from his, “It feels good...I like it…”

“How much?” Erik stroked his thumb up and down her pussy lips to rub in her natural lubricant. Each time he drew his thumb back, a slimy string would connect to the pad of his thumb from her pussy lips. Erik sucked his thumb each time causing his best friend to gasp with surprise. 

“Tell me how much, Y/N.”

“So much,” she said with a self-conscious voice.

“Girl...I’m gonna break you out of that shy shit tonight. Wait and see.”

“Erik, I’m sorry-“

“Don’t apologize. I know, baby, you can’t help yourself. I’m putting my lips on this little pussy and it’s too much to handle. Just know this though...I’m gonna make you handle it.”

“Oh,” she lets out a shaky breath, “You’re nasty, Erik.” She nervously bit into her bottom lip. He was too nasty. 

“This ain’t nowhere near how nasty I can get,” Erik looked down at Y/N’s pussy, “open these thick thighs so I can see this little pussy, okay?”

“Okay,” hesitantly, Y/N opened her shaking thighs. Erik watched her juicy peach span out for him. The sound of her wetness against the skin of her pussy when her lips spread had Erik grinding his hips into the couch cushions. Y/N’s pussy is beautiful. All that honey sticking to her clit, labia, and outer pussy lips. He didn’t even want to lick it up just yet. It was so breathtaking coated in her sloppy goodness. He remembers taking some chick virginity when he was in high school and all he wanted to do was cum. But now, he took his time to fully admire how beautiful her pure and flawless pussy is. 

“Baby girl...I don’t even want to ruin this just yet...oh my God-“

“Why?” She asked with a perplexed expression.

“Because it’s so precious, that’s why,” Erik licked his lips. 

“Well...I want you to eat it, Erik, right now, please?”

“Right now?” Erik smirked, “look at you, demanding me. How about you lay there and watch me eat this pussy. How about that? And you better not look away either.” 

Y/N gave Erik a nervous smile, “I’ll try…”

“Nah, you better do it, Thickums, you ready?”

“Yes.”

Erik adjusted Y/N’s hips on the couch. He got down on his knees and spread her legs wide. Y/N sat up on her elbows so she could watch him like he instructed her to. Erik’s hands smoothed up the back of her thighs before holding them firmly like he did when they were in the car. Pussy spread open and ready to be devoured, Erik started off by giving his best friend soothing kisses to her clit and labia. Y/N reluctantly watched Erik. She tried to pay attention but what she really wanted to do was hide her face with a pillow. She felt so exposed and watching her best friend kiss her pussy, her special place, made her want to shrink away. Erik is so intimidating and experienced, Y/N felt like she wouldn’t be able to keep up with him.

“Erik...Erik,” She called his name. He was too busy getting his lips covered in her juices. Y/N let out a silent scream when she felt the first lick. He dragged his long tongue between her inner lips and up over her clit. Erik repeated this a few times before looking up into her eyes. Y/N gave Erik a sheepish grin. 

“I like it when you say my name like that.”

He tongue kissed her outer lips on each side before placing that same kiss but slower on her clit. Erik had a finesse with eating pussy that Y/N wasn’t prepared for. He took his time to work her up to even more wetness and a powerful orgasm. Now Y/N was being needy. She could see her hips pushing up into Erik’s mouth each time he gave her attention to her clit. Even while he teased her she felt the full capability of what he could do. Erik didn’t even suck on her clit and tongue fuck her yet. 

“You like it when I do this,” Erik finally sucked on her clit and labia at the same time.

Y/N moaned, hummed, and sighed. She could only make noises. The vocabulary was a second thought. Erik wrapping his lips around her like that had her ready to scream. How could she miss out on something like that? Her clit felt so sensitive between his lips. 

“Answer me, ma, talk to me.” Erik did it again.

Y/N shook her head no with a pout of her bottom lip. 

“We gotta talk to each other, bestie. You don’t wanna talk to me?” Erik spoke with faux sadness.

“E-Erik-Umph!!” Y/N pushed at his head, “Ahhh, my God-“

Keeping her thighs back because Y/N was ready to smash his head like a grape, Erik really showed her just how nasty he could get. Erik used his whole mouth and all its skills to eat the fuck out of her pussy. He wanted his bestie to remember what that mouth could really do. Her arms covered her eyes and her teeth painfully bit into her lower lip. Erik watched her stomach flex. She was ready to fly off that damn couch. 

“Erik, Erik, Erik, Erik, I can’t, Erik,” she whispered, “It feels so good I can’t, Erik. I-Umph!, Erik!”

Erik allowed her to grab hold of his dreads to move his head while he worked his mouth. Whenever she would move his head to the left, he would take care of her there. The same thing for the right, his lips would slurp and kiss whatever he could reach. That middle is what had her moaning and groaning. That’s where she smashed his face into her pussy. His lips sucked her directly over her clit before his tongue rolled out to flick at her entrance. He felt her pussy tighten around the tip of his tongue. 

“Oh my God, ahhhh, Erik, it’s-I’m gonna cum-“

“Mhm, mmm,” He mumbled into her pussy. Erik stuck his tongue out and pushed it as far as it could go into her pussy before he started moving in and out. His tongue was so sharp, wet, smooth, warm, and textured while it fucked her pussy. Her clit didn’t feel left out either because Erik’s thumb would circle it and pluck it. 

“Oh, my goodness, Erik,” She gasped, “Erik shitttt, fuckkkkkkkkk, this is too much-“

Fingers clawing the couch, Y/N threw her head back. She wipes her face to catch the tears. That wouldn’t be the first time she cries tonight. The feeling was extraordinary. As if choking on her breath, Y/N felt her lower belly tighten and a feeling creeps up and over her skin. She knew what this feeling was whenever she rubbed her own clit. Erik reaches out to interlock his fingers with hers while he took care of her, giving his all. She fought to breathe through it all but the second her eyes rolled shut and the muscles in her body tightened it was all over. Y/N erupted into Erik’s mouth. Her fingers tightened around his and she allowed her tears to fall. 

“Good girl, such a good girl for me,” Erik praises her.

“I…” she didn’t even know where to start. 

“You came so much best friend,” Erik was amazed.

“Baby,” Y/N moaned.

“You’re a good girl, cumming in my mouth like that,” Erik soothed her pussy with kisses, “Are you gonna be a good girl for the rest of the night?”

“Uh-huh,” she cleared her throat.

“Because I gotta teach you how to suck Daddy’s dick, okay?” 

“Umph, Erik-“ 

“It’s gonna be really good, look at this Daddy dick best friend.”

Y/N lifted her head to stare at all of Erik again. He was pulsating. His dick was really struggling. Erik was much larger than before. Maybe this was his full capacity. Y/N nervously nibbled on her fingers. 

“It’s okay...it’s okay, best friend...I’m gonna take care of you, I promise.”

Erik stood up in front of Y/N. She moved her body to sit on the edge of the couch. Y/N grabs Erik’s dick, looking up at him with her innocent eyes to wait for his first instruction. 

“Good girl, now, you see Daddy’s tip,” Erik rubs it with his thumb, “suck on Daddy’s tip nice and slow for me.”

Y/N timidly wraps her lips around the head of his dick. She felt the sides of her lips stretch uncomfortably before he finally settled in her mouth. Her tongue flicked the tip to taste his pre-cum. More saliva produced after that. 

“Yeah, Good, now suck on it...don’t rush it.”

Y/N did her best and sucked lightly on Erik’s head. She worked up a slow rhythm to help herself get used to it.

“Tighten them lips, ma...yeah, just like that, good girl.”

She kept her lips snug while sucking gently. Spit drizzled to her bottom lip and fell to her chest. This was going to be a mess.

“Damn, bestie, that little mouth…you ain’t so innocent anymore.”

She was getting used to twirling her tongue around his dick and sucking on his head. Now, she wanted to give the rest of him some attention. Y/N lowered her mouth some more over him. She stopped to accommodate the amount of dick she slobbered on now. Her body jerked a little because she felt like she wanted to gag.

“Be patient,” Erik fisted her hair, “You’ll get there, ma, it’s too much for you right now. Take your time wit’ it...uh-huh, Hmph, yep, that’s what I mean.”

The sounds of her sucking made her sunken cheeks blush. He felt so good in her mouth. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to take the challenge and fit all of him in. 

“Fuck, Y/N, look at you, still tryna’ fit more of me in there? Y/N…breathe through your nose, ma.”

She did, and it worked just a little bit. She wouldn’t be able to speak in the morning. Ten inches of dick trying to fit into her virgin mouth is a lot.

“That’s how you want it, huh?” Erik asked with a breathless voice, “okay...okay.”

Erik took over, moving his hips in and out. Y/N grabbed his thighs, closing her eyes to calm herself so her throat wouldn’t close up. She wanted to challenge herself while sucking dick for the first time. The sounds Erik made while he swiveled his hips made her pussy drip to the floor.

“That’s it, let Daddy fuck this nasty little mouth. I’m gonna turn you into a real freak, best friend. Watch how you end up. Gon’ have you sucking dick and taking dick. You like that, don’t you? Turning into a slut? That sound good?”

She nodded her head with watery eyes.

“I’m gonna train you so well. Before you know it, you’ll be able to swallow this dick just like I like. And for that puss,” Erik reaches down to slap her pussy, “that little motherfucker gon’ know when Daddy in it, have you cumming and cumming fucking with me.”

Mmm,” she whimpered.

“Your jaws are tight,” Erik closed his eyes, “Goddayummm.” 

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut. Erik was heavy and thick in her mouth. She tried to be a good girl for him but the second Erik thrust his hips she gagged around him and slipped her mouth off his dick. 

“Shit, come here,” Erik’s eyes were dark, “Nah, your mouth feeling too good right now.”

Y/N shook her head, “Erik, I can’t handle it.”

“You were just handling it,” He was desperate, “What if I went slow? I can go in and out real slow for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Y/N wrapped her lips around him again.

“YES,”  Erik growled, “Let me fuck your mouth nice and slow.”

He went at a measured pace. This also gave Y/N time to admire the faces he made. Scrunching his nose, biting his lip, licking them too. His eyes were no longer a deep brown but more of a piercing black. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her. Not once did he blink. He’s so sexy. So handsome. All that beautiful dick in her mouth. All of this man standing before her ready to turn her out. 

“Guess what?” Erik pulls his dick from her compressed mouth, “I’m this close to cumming,” He put his thumb and pointer finger together to show her how close, “If you let me, bestie, I’ll cum in your mouth.”

“You want me to swallow it?” Y/N asked while staring at Erik jerk his dick.

“Uh-huh...swallow my cum for me?” 

“Yes,” She nodded her head leisurely.

“Good fucking girl, I swear,” Erik rubs the tip of his dick against her lips, “open up.”

Y/N closed her eyes as Erik’s dick went deeper into her mouth. His hands came up to hold her face while he thrust his hips into her mouth. His mouth unhinged and his head went back to stare at the ceiling. She could hear him mumbling something. Probably saying how good it felt. Now, Erik stood still, taking one hand to palm the back of her head, using it to bob her head up and down his dick. Y/N used all the strength she had to accept his rapid pace. He didn’t care about slow and careful anymore, this big dick was about to bust. 

“Fuckkkk, girl fuckkk.”

Y/N took it up a notch and grabbed his balls to squeeze.

“The fuck- Oh SHIT!” 

Y/N’s windpipe gave way to Erik’s dick. She gagged around him.

“ECHHH, ACHHH,” Y/N gurgled. Her eyes widened and blinked when she finally felt Erik’s cum hit the back of her throat. Thick, warm, tangy, it was a new experience. Wanting to get all of him, Y/N gulped him down while jerking his dick to empty him. Erik breathes deeply. She didn’t think it would end with how much it was. 

“Girl, I swear to God,” Erik pulls his dick out, “I bust so much, girl.”

Y/N wipes her mouth, “I know, Daddy.” 

“I’m Daddy,” Erik lifted her from the couch, “That shit felt so damn good, mmm. And you’re my little girl.”

Y/N thought about that. Being Erik’s little girl. And his best friend. 

“We takin’ this shit to the bed, Aight?”

“Okay.”

Y/N covered her chest, walking past Erik with a bashful smile. Erik reaches out to lightly slap her ass. That shit jiggled like a bowl of jello. 

“Take your hands down. What I tell you about that?”

Y/N lowered her hands.

“Go and arch over the bed. Ass up, baby girl.”

He wanted it like that already? Y/N took her time walking to her room. While there, she crawled on the bed, lying flat on her belly. She shivered. Ass up? How would she be able to handle that? 

“I thought I said ass up?” Erik walked in with his dick swinging.

“Umph, okay,” with difficulty, Y/N hiked her ass up and turned her head sideways to face Erik. Erik looked over her body before his eyes connected with hers.

“Now it’s time for lesson number two. I gotta teach you to take some dick in that little pussy. That arch...that arch ain’t good enough, ma.”

Erik walked up behind Y/N, grabbing her hips. His fingers massaged her hips in soothing circles. She closed her eyes. Now, Erik’s large hands were in the middle of her back, pressing down further. Y/N clenched. She never curved her body like that. Her chest was pressed into the mattress. Her ass was really lifted into the air. She shook slightly. 

“This is how you arch. Get that ass up as far as it can go. See? This how you bring that ass north,” Erik slaps her cheeks, making them sting.

“Daddy…,” Y/N spoke weakly, “I-I’m scared.”

“Shhh, cut that out,” Erik rubs her ass cheeks, “Stop doing that. What did I say?”

“You’re gonna take care of me,” She spoke with a small voice.

“Exactly. I wouldn’t lie to you. It’s gonna be your first time, bestie, and my dick is big. Once I'm there, you’ll be feenin’ so good you won’t want me to stop,” Erik leaned forward to kiss her back, “You’ll want me to fuck you anytime and that’s cool cuz I plan on doing that anyway.”

“I trust you.”

“I swear, I promise.”

“I’m ready.” She convinced herself. 

Erik got down on his knees to spread Y/N’s pussy open. She was still very wet but he knew she would need a lot more. 

“Do you have lube?”

“Yes,” Y/N pointed to her dresser, “In there.”

Erik got up to retrieve the lube. He found it hidden between her socks and underwear. Erik walked back over to her, getting down on his knees again. He put his mouth on her pussy again to warm her up to it. Y/N reached back to grab his head. Erik slurped her up all over. She whimpered into the bed. 

“Daddy, I love it when you eat me,” She spoke softly.

Erik went crazy. Now she was getting her pussy eaten from the back. Once he started he couldn’t stop. Y/N made the sexiest noises. Erik’s tongue wiggles everywhere and Y/N’s ass rocked back. She was going to cum each time Erik sucked on her pussy. 

“Ahhhhhhhh!” She shook, “ahhhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhh!”

Like before, Erik drank her empty. Y/N pulled the covers from her bed. 

“Girl, I’m telling you,” Erik rubbed her pussy, “I’m going to fuck your little ass up.”

“Please,” She begs, “Please fuck me, Daddy.”

Erik takes his fingers, two of them, and slides them inside of Y/N. She instantly gripped him. Erik couldn’t even get his fingers out from her vice grip. He was steady with his fingers. The more he stroked, the more cream spilled from her entrance and trailed down to her clit. When it reached her clit, the fluids dropped to the bed. 

“This pussy can’t stop leaking,” Erik wiggles his fingers deep, “I’m reaching in that pussy, best friend?”

“Yesssss-“

“I gotta stretch you to fit me.”

“Please fuck me.”

“I will-“

“Please?”

“Why do you have to beg me like that?” Erik grunted.

“Because I want you to pop my cherry.”

“Y/N,” Erik slaps her ass, “Say that shit again.”

“I want you to pop my cherry, Daddy-“

“Fuck, you know how bad I want it.”

“Then get it, fuck me like a Daddy is supposed to fuck me.” 

“Ain’t shy no more. You talk like that now?”

“Mhm, please-“

“Bet, I got that ass.”

Erik opened the lube, squeezing some on his fingers. He applied it to his dick until it was fully coated before sinking those same fingers into her pussy again. He didn’t go too deep in her pussy but deep enough for her to feel him. She wanted that cherry popped it was going to be with his dick. Erik stood behind her, taking his dick and bringing it to her pussy. He rubbed it around her clit before placing the head of his dick at her entrance. He looked at her tiny fuck hole and the head of his dick was bigger than that. He would really have to squeeze in there. 

“I’m sorry, baby girl, but you have a little pussy on you and...It’s gonna hurt at first, okay? Don’t be scared, I promise I will make it better.”

Y/N swallowed spit. She was panting like she ran a marathon.

“Y/N?” Erik asked with concern.

“Just do it, Daddy. Will this help?” Y/N reached behind her to spread her pussy lips, “Is that better, Daddy?”

“Yo,” Erik shook his head, “Oh, that’s fucking better alright. Keep that pink puss open just like that and take this big ass dick, okay?” 

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good fucking girl,” Erik takes the base of his dick, then at a slow-going pace, he pushes the head of his dick in. It felt like he had already popped her cherry with the way her body jerked and how his head went in. Smooth at first then pop it landed right inside. 

“Are you okay?” Erik looked around to see Y/N’s eyes closed and lips parted. 

She licked her lips before speaking with a hoarse voice, “Yes.”

“Okay, I’m about to put more in,” Erik watched Y/N’s pussy slowly engulfing him while her walls damn near wrung him dry. She was so wet and compressed around his thick pipe. Y/N’s hands let go of her pussy lips to reach for Erik. She had her face smashed into the bed. Erik pulled back to the tip and when he did that, Y/N clenched up and whimpered in pain.

“Ouch,” she cried, “Ouch, ouch, ouch.”

Erik looked down at his dick to see a little bit of blood. He did it. He popped her cherry. Y/N breathed so rapidly that Erik was afraid she was having a panic attack.

“Y/N are you cool? I don’t like the way you’re breathing right now.”

“I-I’ll be okay,” Y/N breathed out of her mouth, “Just...just please keep going.”

It stung, and now her pussy throbbed with pain but it wouldn’t last forever. Erik was stretching her and she wanted more. Under that pain is a tingly sensation inside of her. The reaction to the way he glided in. If that’s what it felt like she needed more of it and now.

“I popped that cherry, ma, you bled out on my dick.”

The sound of that turned her on. He took her virginity. His big dick invaded her purity. She loved it. Loved it a lot. Y/N could tell Erik did too.

“Can I see?” She asked.

Erik walked around her to show her. Covered in cream and her clear fluids with a little bit of blood on the upper shaft of his dick. No wonder she bled out as well. Erik is a big boy. She was surprised that was all that came out of her.

“You like this,” Erik smirked while jerking his dick, rubbing it in, “I like the shit too.”

“I want more,” Y/N reached back to rub her swollen lips, “please, Daddy, I want more.”

She was so excited and nervous at the same time. Erik was behind her again, fixing her arch and adding more lube. She was already so wet but he needed to be sure she would feel comfortable. Satisfied, Erik brought his dick to her entrance again, sinking back inside. Y/N clawed the bed, before turning her head to stare forward. Her toes flexed. She was stuffed full of dick. Finally, Erik had all of him inside of her pussy. 

“Goddamn,” Erik brought his hands up to rub down his face, “Hold still for me, okay?”

“Okay,” Y/N rubbed the bottom of her belly. She felt a lot of pressure there. It was this damn position. 

“Gotta pull out some so I can get back in this pussy. You have me hooked.”

Erik pulled out to the tip of his dick, then bam! He hit her again. Y/N gasped aloud. He repeated it again, his hands on her hips. Y/N could hear her wet pussy covered in lube. After Erik thrust a few times she started getting used to it, arching her back even more and moving her hips. That deep pressure made her eyes roll. 

“I’m fucking this pussy up. You ready?”

“Y-yes-“

“Damn, I’m about to show you some shit, girl.”

Grabbing the sheets, Y/N felt Erik’s hands get tighter. He pulled out again to the tip, then bam! Back in but this time he knocked the wind out of her. Her hands came back to grab his wrists. Erik pulled out...bam! Her eyes popped open. He increased with each stroke until finally, Y/N was experiencing what it felt like to be fucked by a big dick. Doing it nice and slow felt good but doing it fast felt amazing. He made her cheeks clap against him, loud moans escape her mouth, and her legs shake. He brought his hands up to her spine, Y/N’s hands falling to the bed. 

“Nope, that’s not how we arch, girl,” He barked out, “I’m fucking this little pussy don’t play with me.”

“UHHH, UMPH, AHHHH-“ 

“Pussy so tight, give me that pussy,” Erik presses in deep, “still shy, baby? You’re doing so well, such a slut aren’t you? That’s it, keep that pussy open, fuck, you look so cute when you’re struggling, desperate mess.”

“Daddy,” She moaned. Sniffling back tears, Y/N tried to be a good girl but damn he was banging that thing to death. 

“I fucking love hearing you struggle.”

Y/N was crying and drooling.

“Can you take some more?” 

Y/N quickly shook her head no but Erik lifted her ass up more and kept pounding anyway. When he did that, he stroked her G spot. Y/N couldn’t pull away even if she tried, Erik had her arms. 

“Daddy! Daddy! Please! Cum, Daddy! Please cum! I can’t take it!-“

Instead of him cumming, Y/N spasms, her eyes rolled almost to the whites and she leaked all over his dick. It happened so suddenly. She didn’t see it coming to be able to prepare herself for it. Now, her pussy felt overworked. Erik pulled his dick out of her. Y/N fell flat on her stomach while her body quivered. 

“Flip over, baby, I’m not finished with you yet,” Erik strokes his wet hard dick. 

“Daddy...I don’t know if I can take anymore.”

“You can, and you will. Flip over.”

Y/N flips over onto her back. Her curly bush was matted to her head and her face was stained with tears. Erik grabs her thighs, bringing them over his shoulders. When he did that, her pussy lips spread and she could feel it convulse with need even though it was sore and thoroughly fucked. 

“Now you get to see how my dick gets all this pussy.”

“Erik...please be gentle.” 

“I’ll try but I’m not making any promises.”

Y/N was in another dimension. Erik put his dick in and basically said fuck gentle. One clean thrust of all his long dick had Y/N gasping for air. Her hands came up to push into Erik’s chest but there was no use, her arms were like noodles. She looked around the room with wary eyes. He didn’t go too fast and he didn’t go too slow. She found herself staring down at Erik’s dick and the view had her in a trance. She would have never thought that all of him could fit inside of her. Y/N locked her ankles and wrapped her arms around Erik’s neck. She wanted to kiss him. He understood what that meant, bringing his lips to hers and took her breath away. It was sloppy and passionate while he was inside of her. The minute Erik’s hips smacked against hers loudly Y/N broke the kiss to moan. Erik took that opportunity to ruin her further. He sat up on his hands and fucked her just like he was fucking her from the back. Hard and long. 

“Erik! Pleaseee! Just cum, Daddy! Cum! It’s so big and it’s too much!” 

“Whatever Daddy wants, Daddy gets, ma-“

“Oh my God-“

“Fuck, baby, you feel so good,” Erik leans down to kiss her throat, “But you gotta stop moving and be a good girl for me, okay?”

Y/N quickly nodded her head. She wanted him to cum badly, that’s how sensitive she is. His dick would drag over her G spot, causing her to tear up. 

“Look at me.” 

Y/N looked up at Erik.

“Go ahead, cum on this Daddy dick.”

She exploded. 

“Good girl, now...let Daddy cum all over you.”

“Please-“

“Can I cum on these big titties?”

“Umph, yes-“

“You gotta say it, Thickums, tell me where you want me to cum?”

“I-I want you to c-cum on my big t-titties.”

“Yes-yes, baby, let me cum on you. Your pussy making me do this. I don’t ever wanna’ catch you giving this good tight pussy to another nigga, understand me?”

“YES!” 

“You’re mine now. Make Daddy happy, baby.”

“Fuck, Daddy,” Y/N let out a sigh when Erik slowed down. His jaw tightened right along with his balls. He was really holding off his cum to feel her more. If she was his and only his, then he would have her pussy anytime. He didn’t need to hold off when he would be cumming again because of her sweet little pussy. 

“Come here,” Erik hooked his hands under her ass, “Come to Daddy, baby.” He said with a gruff tone.

“BABY!!!”

“FUCKKKK! Y/N FUCKKKK!”

Erik slips out dragging his dick up to her breasts and shooting a hefty load over her nipples. He jerked and jerked as Y/N watched ropes and streams of cum shoot out and hit its target. He finally stopped cumming, a long string left over and oozing from his dick. 

“S-suck Daddy dick, baby girl, clean up the m-mess you made,” Erik could barely talk after that big ass nut, “Clean up your fucking mess. All this because of that g-good pussy.”

Y/N wasted no time. She grabbed Erik’s dick up, opened her lips wide, and wrapped her them around him nice and tight. She could taste his cum on the head of his dick and her cum on his shaft. Erik was covered in it all. Y/N didn’t even need to be told to grab Erik’s balls. She squeezed them while sucking his dick. Erik was still iron-hard and ready to fuck. His limitless dick wanted more and more of her. She could tell because of his pitch-black irises. The killer look in his eyes. She popped her mouth off of his dick, a long string of spit hanging from her bottom lip while her innocent eyes cowardly gazed up at him.

“I don’t know what it is right now...but I feel like thumping that ass real good.”

“W-why?!” Y/N clenched her ass cheeks.

“It’s the way you’re looking up at me, girl. I really wanna spank that ass. Make you cry.”

“Erik, no,” Y/N shook her head, “You are too much.” 

“You want it,” Erik smiles at her darkly, “You would like that, wouldn’t you? Be polite and ask nicely.” 

Y/N was back to being faint-hearted. This was Killmonger. One taste of Y/N’s pussy and now he was giving her evil looks and commands. 

“Spank me, Daddy?” She spoke with a fearful tone.

“I can’t hear you, baby, what is it that you want?”

“Spank me.”

“Turn that ass over and arch your back.”

Y/N turned over and arched her back again. She flexed her neck to look back at him. 

“That’s how I want you. Look back at me while I pop this big ol’ ass on you, girl.”

“Daddy...what did I do to deserve this?” Y/N was scared stiff.

“Making me cum like that, had a nigga stumbling over his words like you’re in charge. I’m in charge. Hear me?”

“Yes.”

Erik’s hand painfully struck Y/N’s ass without warning, “Good girl.”

She instantly screamed. 

“I’m gonna turn you into my trained little slut, do you fucking hear me?”

“Yes!” THWACK, “YES YES!”

THWACK THWACK THWACK.

“Turn your little ass out, make you a slut for this Daddy dick. This is your dick now, slut, this is what you cumming on, okay?!”

“YESS, pleaseeeee.”

THWACK THWACK. Y/N’s legs shook tremendously. She no longer has pain receptors in her ass. She was going numb to his spanking.

“You like my cum on your tits?” THWACK, “Do you like my nut on your tits?”

“Ughhhh yesssss.” 

“Daddy’s pretty little slut. Not a virgin no more, huh? I took that shit didn’t I?”

“Yesssss,” She cried.

“I popped that cherry and took that tight puss. I made that shit mine, am I right?”

“Daddy, yess,” THWACK, “Oh, gosh, Daddy-“

“Does it scare you that I could do anything to you right now? Like, take that puss again? Fuck that puss and make you scream?”

“Oh, Gosh- OH MY GOODNESS!!!” 

Erik’s dick was in her again.

“DADDY!”

“What’s wrong, baby? Finding it hard to focus?”

“Umph! Umph!”

“Yes, moan like that. Yessss, you sound so fucking sexy.”

“AHHHHHH-“ 

You know what’s good? When someone with nice big hands is making you moan while they fuck you but the second you let out a sound they immediately cover your mouth and tell you to…

“Shut up,” Erik commands. 

That’s what’s good. Y/N’s eyes rolled when Erik’s large hand with his thick fingers covered her mouth like that. Bonus points for him because he clapped that ass from the back while still keeping his hand around her mouth and the other in her hair. Now, he was putting his fingers in her mouth to make her suck on. It still kept her quiet anyway. 

Erik leans forward whispering in Y/N’s ear menacingly, “You’re fucking mines, yeah?” Y/N mumbled against his hand, “you’re a messy slut, I can feel you dripping all over me.” 

“Erik...stop,” she spoke with a muffled tone because of his hand. Y/N was done. She came on his dick again. She was afraid by the end of the night she wouldn’t be able to cum anymore. Y/N was definitely a virgin no more. Now that Erik took that pussy, she would be on his dick whenever he wanted.

“THAT'S it, baby. Feel good doesn’t it? Just needed a little more hm?” 

“A-Ah-ahhhhh,” she moaned with a struggle.

“What is it, angel? That made you feel good?”

Y/N nodded her head with a whine.

“What? Like this?” Erik thrust back in and abused her sweet spot, “You’re so goddamn beautiful. Fuck, I’m gonna cum again, girl!”

Two more thrusts in her pussy had Erik pulling out and cumming on her ass now. His dick jumped against her ass. He didn’t even need to jerk it, his hazy eyes just watched his dick jump and spurt out cum covering her ass cheeks and lower back. Erik finally grabs the base of his dick, rubbing the rest of his cum onto her ass. He stood back watching her body slump into the mattress. He was definitely weak and in need of electrolytes to refuel himself. Erik walked to Y/N’s bathroom to retrieve a warm wet rag to wipe her down. It was late as hell and she needed some rest. He would run a bath for her in the morning. He made it back into the room, sitting down on the bed next to Y/N to clean her pussy, ass, and back. As he wiped her pussy, heavy, drawn-out, gurgling noises came from Y/N.

“Wow,” Erik laughs. He laughed so hard his stomach hurt. Y/N was snoring sleep with her mouth hanging wide open. Erik put her to bed. He flips her over to wipe off her breasts. She grumbled and snorted. He forgot how much of a snorer she was. Erik pulled the covers to her bed back, picking her up and laying her in bed. She automatically curled up into a ball, snuggling her face into her silk pillow and reaching out to grab her large teddy bear almost the size of the bed that Erik got her for her birthday. 

“So fucking adorable.” He flicked off her light, pulling the covers back to lay next to her. He snuggled her close to him, his arm reaching over her bare chest to rest on top of the bear. As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep overtook him as well. 

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[breanime]

Personal Days

*gif not mine*

You didn’t want to see Johnny. In fact, you were actively avoiding him, so much so that you didn’t even go to Graceland after work; you booked a hotel and stayed the night there. He called you, of course, but you didn’t answer. If you heard his voice, you’d break. What was worse—you couldn’t lie to him.

And you weren’t strong enough to tell him the truth.

“Yo…” Johnny lopped into the room, a frown on his face and a sandwich in his hands. “…Anyone hear from Y/N?”

“Uh…. Not since Tuesday,” Mike answered, standing up, “Why? Is she okay?”

“I dunno,” Johnny said back, “She hasn’t answered any of my calls, but she texted saying she took a few days off…”

“So maybe she’s taking a few days off,” Mike offered, but he was frowning.

“Without me?” Johnny took a bite of his sandwich. “Nah.”

“Hey, Paige,” Mike called as Paige walked into the kitchen, “have you heard from Y/N lately?”

She shook her head, going to the fridge. “Not in the last few days. Why? Something wrong?”

“I dunno,” Johnny sighed, “I just feel like something’s off, man…”

“Go with your gut, John,” Paige said, turning to him, “You give her a call?”

“Several,” he answered, “She keeps sending me to voicemail.”

“Well did you get into a fight?” Mike asked. “Maybe she’s just taking a breather?”

“Nah,” Johnny shook his head, “We ain’t get into a fight…”

“Well, maybe it’s not about you, Tuturro,” Paige quipped, “The girl works a hard job, maybe she just needed a vacation.”

“Again… Without me?” Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mike opened his mouth, then shut it. His eyes narrowed, and Johnny knew that he was having one of his brain-blast moments. “John,” he said voice low, “let’s take a walk.”

“What?” Johnny asked.

“C’mon, let’s get some air,” he said, already moving away from the kitchen. Mike patted Paige on the arm as he walked past, and she quirked an eyebrow at his back.

“Uh, okay…” Johnny shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. “…Let’s get some air.”

Mike didn’t say a word for a good ten minutes, and Johnny didn’t push him. He knew this routine. They walked on the beach in silence until Mike turned to him and said one thing:

“Briggs.”

“What about him?” Johnny asked back.

“Briggs has got to know what’s going on with Y/N,” Mike said, “He’s in on everything! I mean… This isn’t like her, just dropping off the grid like this… I’m worried.”

“You’re worried? Man, I’m worried!” Johnny said. “Hell, you think I’ve been able to sleep these past few days not knowing where she is?”

“Briggs knows,” Mike said, his eyes serious, “I’m sure of it.”

And so they went to Briggs. He was playing pool at the bar and knocking back drinks. “Hey!” He greeted them. “Johnny, come on, square up, lemme teach you a few things…”

“Nah, another time,” he laughed, shaking his head, “Yo, actually… We wanted to ask if you’d heard from Y/N lately?”

Briggs looked down, licking his lips. “She’s on vacation,” he answered.

“Paul,” Mike stepped up, “We’re worried; this isn’t like her.”

Briggs looked from Johnny, to Mike, and back again. He sighed, putting his pool cue down. “Look, guys, she’s fine, she just needed a few days to heal up—”

“Heal up from what?” Johnny asked, taking a step closer to his friend. “From what? Briggs, huh?”

“We just want to help,” Mike said, his voice soft.

Briggs sighed again. “Alright, alright, fine… Y/N’s gonna kill me…” He pointed his head towards the door. “…Let’s walk, gentlemen…”

Johnny hadn’t felt this kind of tension in a long, long time. His jaw was clenched—and so were his fists—as he walked with Briggs and Mike. He hated secrets—he understood their value, of course, he was a Federal agent—but when it came to his friends, and the people he cared about, he hated secrets. “Yo, Briggs,” he said, glaring at the sun on the horizon, “you gotta start talking…”

“Fine,” Briggs stopped, and so did Johnny and Mike, “Listen, you know the case with those discharged Marines Y/N’s been working on?”

“The Russo case?” Johnny answered. “Yeah, she’s been workin’ it for months…”

“She made great headway with it,” Mike added, “Put a lot of their guys behind bars.”

“Yeah, she did,” Briggs nodded, “which put her on a lot of people’s shit lists. Last week, one of Russo’s men followed her after a drop…attacked her.”

Johnny’s blood turned to ice.

“She’s okay,” Briggs assured him, putting a hand on Johnny’s shoulder, “But she did get hurt. Lots of bumps and bruises. She didn’t want you to worry.”

“She didn’t want me to worry?” Johnny pushed Briggs’ hand off of his shoulder. “Well, dude, I’m freaking worried!”

“I know,” he sighed, “I told her that, but you know Y/N…”

“But she’s okay?” Mike asked, his big blue eyes wide.

Briggs shrugged. “I saw her before she left, dropped her off at the hotel myself… She’s got a nasty black eye and some wicked bruises, but she’s fine.”

“Where is she?” Johnny asked, stepping up to Briggs. “Gimme the info, Briggs, I ain’t playing…”

“Okay, okay,” he reached in his wallet for the key card you’d given him, “I’ll do anything, just don’t shoot.”

You were staring at your reflection in the mirror when you heard a knock on the door. Your first instinct was to grab your gun, and when you took it to the door and peeked through the peep hole, you sighed.

Johnny was here.

“Yo, open up,” he drawled, knocking again, “I know you’re in there…”

You glanced at the mirror next to the door, cursing under your breath. You had a black eye, a split lip, and bruises all over your face. All you were wearing was a black T-shirt you’d stolen from Johnny and a pair of panties. Sighing, you opened the door.

Johnny stared at you, his eyes wide.

“Hey,” you greeted him, stepping back to let him in, “I should’ve known Briggs would break.”

Johnny closed the door behind him, and man….

You had never seen his eyes so angry.

“Russo do this to you?” He asked, cupping your jaw gently.

You shook your head. “Nah, just one of his cronies,” you said back, “And trust me, I gave as good as I got.”

Johnny made a strangled noise and pulled you to him. He gripped you to his chest, and you sighed in his embrace. “Are you okay?” He asked, his hand on the back of your head.

You nodded, sinking into his embrace. “I’m fine.” You wrapped your arms around him. “I promise.”

“You know, you should have told me,” he said, his voice low, “I would’ve been there for you, you know that.”

“I know…” You sighed. “…I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“Hey,” he pulled back, his warm hand on your chin, lifting your face. His eyes looked into yours, and you felt like you could drown in those dark eyes of his. “I always wanna see you,” he said softly, “Rain, shine, pain… I always wanna be with you, Y/N. Always.”

You bit your lip, leaning into the pain—it helped you not want to cry. “Thanks, Johnny.”

“I get why you don’t wanna come back to the house just yet,” he said, leaning down and pressing a tender kiss to your swollen eye, “but I miss you… and I want to stay with you… if that’s okay.”

You smiled. You took his hand and yours and led him to the bed. “I guess I could use some cuddles,” you said, “I assume you’ve got some personal days stacked up?”

“I already put in a request for three,” he grinned, plopping onto the bed, “I was eager.”

You laughed, snuggling into his chest. There was no better place in the world than Johnny’s arms.

All you did was cuddle, and that was enough. Johnny always touched you like you were the most precious thing in the world, and this time was no different. As you lay in his arms, half-asleep, you couldn’t remember a time where you felt more at peace.

“Hey…” Johnny said, his voice bringing you back to full consciousness. “…I know you don’t want to label anything or whatever—and I’m cool with that, just…” He dropped his head, so his mouth was resting in your hair now. “…Next time a guy plays whack-a-mole with your face, tell me, okay?”

You nodded. You held up your pinkie. “I promise.”

Johnny laughed, and he hooked his pinkie with yours. “Thank you. Now, I love you,” he chuckled, “but I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be able to look at that black-and-blue face.” He hopped out of bed, and you whined.

This wasn’t the first time he’d said those three words to you—you were friends, and Johnny probably told Charlie and Mike he loved them three times a day each—but still, whenever he said it to you, your heart did flips in your chest. You sat up and watched as he went to the mini fridge. He came back with an ice pack, and he pressed it to your eye, hissing with you at the pain. You shivered, and Johnny brought you closer to him, pulling the blanket up around the two of you.

“Nice shirt, by the way,” he said, popping the collar of his shirt on your neck.

“Oh, thanks,” you said, smiling up at him, “It’s a collectible.”

He laughed, leaning down to kiss you. “Yeah, well, there’s more where that came from.”

He gently laid you back down, one arm around you while he pressed the icepack to your eye. You felt Johnny’s lips on your forehead, and you snuggled closer to him. Maybe you weren’t ready to admit it outloud yet, but you had to be honest with yourself… the best place to be…

…was in Johnny’s arms.

*******************************************************************************************

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! Was this enough angst for ya or do I have to go HARDER?

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[darkmoonkestrel]

daily kestrel 59:

the days keep coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming. or in the words of Paige, the last two weeks has felt like months

we like truly 100% officially have to be out of our house by December 6th, which means we can start telling people. and then we hope that we get the house we liked, because even though we literally saw our realtor yesterday, it feels like way too long ago to be comfortable about the status of the offer that we have in

also today was Halloween so that was fun!! we did trick or treating in the hallway at work and I was with blue room for that but at least I did green room's afternoon party and got to leave at 4 - they could tell I was sick and miserable but I did my best to keep it together through the brain fog

we got movie house set up and did Coraline tonight, the kids loved it. we had plenty of trick or treaters, except one group that skipped our cul-de-sac on their way into the neighborhood and then stopped at the top of our road to take pictures and talk loudly and didn't come down our road at all even after we yelled (loudly and repeatedly) that we still had candy as they were all breaking off into their groups to go home, but oh well, their loss. we finally got rid of all the Pokemon cards after giving them out for two years in a row.

our neighbors across the street (who are also moving) saw us setting up and said they were worried there wasn't going to be a show this year! but nah we gotta keep up traditions. I am gonna be sad to not do that again here, although we plan to start anew at the next house. someone else in the neighborhood posted to the Facebook group that they brought a TV out to their driveway and were watching a movie while giving out candy, but we were the OG movie house of the area, and we will always have that

we got to take the for sale sign out from in front of the yard today. dinner was scrounged from breakfast foods in the freezer (mini quiches and French toast sticks) and we finally watched the Bob's Burgers movie, which was actually really good, although the animation was slightly uncanny at points. solid songs and plot though tbh. overall a good day despite the sickness, except for that in 40something minutes October will be over and then it's November and we made packing a November problem, which means that it will very soon be a problem once again. and it's only Thursday.

[westbay34]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: 100% authentic Fendi men’s watch! MWOTS.